Shot fired as raiders target cash transit van

Ken Foy, Crime correspondent

A SHOT was fired during a cash-in-transit raid on a supermarket by a two-man gang.

A manhunt is now under way for the criminals, who are believed to be from Dublin, following the terrifying incident at Bettystown, Co Meath.

Less than €3,000 was stolen during the robbery.

The van was at a post office in the town's main shopping area when the pair, wearing balaclavas, staged the raid. Both raiders wore surgical gloves

One of the men, armed with a gun, fired a shot into the air as he and his accomplice approached the cash-in-transit worker and demanded the money.

Nobody was hurt and both men fled on foot in the incident, which occurred at 1.20pm yesterday.

Rushed

Gardai have not yet recovered the cash but are studying CCTV footage in a bid to piece together the events leading up to the raid.

One of the men was wearing a blue striped top and black bottoms.

The second man was in a dark navy top and black bottoms.

One onlooker said: "The first security guy was barely out of the van when he was rushed by two men who seemed to come out of nowhere.

"I heard at least one shot, but I think it was aimed up in the air more than at the guy with the money."

According to the latest figures issued by the Central Statistics Office for the full year of 2011, there was a massive rise in cash-in-transit raids (up 81pc), as criminal gangs refocused their attention on security vans.

Sources say that this year there has been even more such raids as criminals grapple with the recession and less public demand for drugs such as cocaine.

kfoy@herald.ie