A couple were abducted as part of a robbery at a post office in Castlebellingham in Co Louth this morning.
Joseph McLaughlin and his partner Tess Coleman, both of whom are in their 50s, had a gun put to their heads at their home in Salterstown, Dunleer, Co Louth before he was forced to hand over more than €100,000 from the Post Office in Castlebellingham
Mr McLaughlin was given a mobile phone with a photograph of his partner on it and a note from her to show the postmistress to prove she was being held hostage.
The money was left outside a hairdressers on the main street in Castlebellingham and collected by two men at around 9am this morning.
Gardaí are searching for a gang of at least three men. They have described one suspect as being in his 50s with grey hair and wearing a brown jacket. A second man is in his 30s of thin build with brown hair.
A third man was aged mid 40s to mid 50s, with spiked dark hair, wearing a suit and driving a silver coloured Toyota Avensis 05 D.
Detectives believe people on two buses in Castlebellingham at the time of the robbery may have seen something and have asked them to contact Ardee Garda Station.
One of the gang spoke with a Dublin accent and gardaí say a considerable amount of preparation went into the robbery and the men could have been in the town for a few days before.
Ms Coleman was released a short time later and is said to be traumatised but otherwise unharmed.
Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information to contact them in Ardee Garda Station on 041-6853222.
