23.12.04
BBC
IRA denies £22m bank raid
Suspicious activity was reported in a nearby side street
The IRA has denied involvement in the robbery of £22m from a Belfast bank, republican sources have told the BBC.
Monday's raid at the Northern Bank's Belfast headquarters is thought to be one of the biggest UK cash robberies.
A senior republican source said: "We are dismissing any suggestion or allegation that we were involved."
The IRA is one of five paramilitary groups or criminal gangs which the police believe was capable of carrying out the raid.
Meanwhile, police say that a report of a suspicious van outside the bank on the night of the robbery was in fact made on the previous evening.
THE £22M RAID
£12m in new Northern Bank £100 and £20 notes were taken
£5m of assorted used NI banknotes were taken
£1.15m of new Northern Bank £100 and £50 notes were among the stolen cash
Four people were held hostage at a house in Poleglass on the outskirts of west Belfast
Two people were held in County Down
A woman was held blindfolded for more than 24 hours
45 detectives are working on the case
Detectives said the possible involvement of paramilitaries was a "key line of inquiry".
They have identified two criminal gangs and three paramilitary factions that they believe are capable of carrying out the robbery.
They are comparing the previous activities and methods used by these groups and comparing that with what happened on Monday evening.
At least 10 men are now known to have been involved in the robbery.
Police appealed on Wednesday for help in tracing a "distinctive" white box van which had been used to load the cash from the Wellington Street entrance of the bank on two occasions.
Detectives said they soon expected to know the serial numbers of most of the stolen money.
Police said the robbery was carried out by professional criminals who had "clearly done their homework".
The two bank officials whose families were held hostage are being interviewed in depth by detectives who say the process could take several days.
Police say they want to establish how the gang knew which staff to target.
A female hostage held during the raid raised the alarm after scrambling through a forest.
The raid at the Northern Bank's Belfast headquarters is thought to be one of the biggest UK cash robberies.
The robbers stole millions from the vaults of the bank in Donegall Square West on Monday as the families of two bank officials - one at Downpatrick, County Down, and the other at Poleglass near Lisburn - were held hostage.
The bank officials are Kevin McMullan from Downpatrick and Chris Warde from Colinmill in Poleglass.
Senior investigating officer Andy Sproule appealed for help in tracing a "distinctive" white box van which had been used to load the cash from the Wellington Street entrance on two occasions.
The van was so unusual that police had so far been unable to find a similar one to put on display, said the detective superintendent.
Kevin McMullan's wife Karen - wearing blue overalls and soaking wet trainers, made her way to a house near Drumkeeragh Forest Park at about 2200 GMT on Monday.
She was in a distressed state, but was reluctant to tell the male householder too much about the incident as she was concerned about her husband. However, she said she had been a hostage in a bank robbery.
IRA denies £22m bank raid
Suspicious activity was reported in a nearby side street
The IRA has denied involvement in the robbery of £22m from a Belfast bank, republican sources have told the BBC.
Monday's raid at the Northern Bank's Belfast headquarters is thought to be one of the biggest UK cash robberies.
A senior republican source said: "We are dismissing any suggestion or allegation that we were involved."
The IRA is one of five paramilitary groups or criminal gangs which the police believe was capable of carrying out the raid.
Meanwhile, police say that a report of a suspicious van outside the bank on the night of the robbery was in fact made on the previous evening.
THE £22M RAID
£12m in new Northern Bank £100 and £20 notes were taken
£5m of assorted used NI banknotes were taken
£1.15m of new Northern Bank £100 and £50 notes were among the stolen cash
Four people were held hostage at a house in Poleglass on the outskirts of west Belfast
Two people were held in County Down
A woman was held blindfolded for more than 24 hours
45 detectives are working on the case
Detectives said the possible involvement of paramilitaries was a "key line of inquiry".
They have identified two criminal gangs and three paramilitary factions that they believe are capable of carrying out the robbery.
They are comparing the previous activities and methods used by these groups and comparing that with what happened on Monday evening.
At least 10 men are now known to have been involved in the robbery.
Police appealed on Wednesday for help in tracing a "distinctive" white box van which had been used to load the cash from the Wellington Street entrance of the bank on two occasions.
Detectives said they soon expected to know the serial numbers of most of the stolen money.
Police said the robbery was carried out by professional criminals who had "clearly done their homework".
The two bank officials whose families were held hostage are being interviewed in depth by detectives who say the process could take several days.
Police say they want to establish how the gang knew which staff to target.
A female hostage held during the raid raised the alarm after scrambling through a forest.
The raid at the Northern Bank's Belfast headquarters is thought to be one of the biggest UK cash robberies.
The robbers stole millions from the vaults of the bank in Donegall Square West on Monday as the families of two bank officials - one at Downpatrick, County Down, and the other at Poleglass near Lisburn - were held hostage.
The bank officials are Kevin McMullan from Downpatrick and Chris Warde from Colinmill in Poleglass.
Senior investigating officer Andy Sproule appealed for help in tracing a "distinctive" white box van which had been used to load the cash from the Wellington Street entrance on two occasions.
The van was so unusual that police had so far been unable to find a similar one to put on display, said the detective superintendent.
Kevin McMullan's wife Karen - wearing blue overalls and soaking wet trainers, made her way to a house near Drumkeeragh Forest Park at about 2200 GMT on Monday.
She was in a distressed state, but was reluctant to tell the male householder too much about the incident as she was concerned about her husband. However, she said she had been a hostage in a bank robbery.
