Gardai have launched a nationwide operation to snare a gang of dangerous thugs — who have gone on a vicious armed robbery spree in a top-of-the-range car.
The thugs are using an Audi S4 car — capable of hitting speeds of more than 260kph — and leaving normal saloon cars used by gardai trailing in their wake.
Sources have told The Star that officers believe the gang of criminals, who target as many as six shops in one night, have stolen tens of thousands of euro in the robberies.
The gang targets shops and garages in night raids for cigarettes, money and booze — and have been known to drive 300km in one night to carry out their heists.
The S4 car, with a massive 5.2 litre V8 engine, easily outpaces any normal vehicle gardai on patrol have access to.
Raids have taken place all over Ireland, including counties Clare, Galway, Sligo, Mayo, Donegal, Offaly and Portlaoise.
Senior officers were so anxious to catch the gang that they sent a Garda helicopter to chase them after they carried out a series of raids in Monaghan and Meath early yesterday — but the criminals managed to escape across the border.
Sources have revealed that the thugs have attacked unarmed gardai at least three times in the last fortnight — pelting them with rocks and other missiles.
“They are active all over the country,” a source told The Star last night.
“And they are not afraid of being confronted by gardai.
“They actually wait for members to arrive and then attack them.”
Just two weeks ago, they attacked a premises in Castlebaldwin in Sligo — and prepared an ambush for gardai.
The criminals had lined up a row of rocks outside the shop, ready to be thrown at officers.
A few weeks earlier, they carried out another raid in Crusheen, Co Clare — and lined up cans of beans and peas to attack gardai.
In the latest incident, the criminals targeted a Garda car in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, before targeting a local shop.
Sources say the gang slashed the tyres of the Garda car to make sure officers could not stop them getting away after the robbery.
Then the thugs drove to nearby Newbliss, where they carried out another raid, before driving around 50km for even more mayhem.
They targeted shops in Summerhill and Tullyallen near Drogheda in Co Louth.
Gardai tried to catch them there but they launched a barrage of rocks and missiles at officers.
The Garda helicopter then started to give chase — but the gang hit speeds of more than 240kph on the M1 motorway and escaped into the North.
Sources say gardai believe the gang bought the Audi legally on a website.
