Hostage-takers steal $55 million from Northern Ireland bank

A police officer stands guard at the side exit of the Northern Bank's head office in Belfast's, Northern Ireland. Picture / Reuters

BELFAST - A gang held the families of two Northern Ireland bank officials hostage for 24 hours before stealing more than £20 million ($55 million) in one of Britain's biggest robberies, police said on Tuesday.

The employees were forced to hand over the money from a cash centre at the headquarters of Northern Bank, in central Belfast, after close of business on Monday by raiders who had taken over their homes on Sunday night.

"Two families have suffered great trauma as a result of the actions of these criminals," Northern Ireland's assistant chief constable Sam Kinkaid said.

Kinkaid said the exact amount taken was not yet known as the bank was still conducting an audit, but said it "may be in excess of £20 million". Earlier a source familiar with the case had estimated the total could be as high as £30 million.

Police said they were still investigating whether one of Northern Ireland's paramilitary groups, which remain heavily involved in crime despite observing ceasefires in the province's long-running sectarian conflict, had been involved in the raid.

"Clearly this is a well-organised crime, there's absolutely no doubt about that," said Kinkaid.

"Whether it is in any way associated with paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, we haven't sufficient information for us to make any assessment on that at present."

Britain's biggest raid was a 1987 break-in at a Knightsbridge safe deposit centre in London when £60 million was stolen. In 1983, £26 million was taken in a raid on a Brinks-Mat vault at London's Heathrow airport.

Northern Bank is the largest retail bank in Northern Ireland, with 95 branches in the British-ruled province.

Earlier this month, Denmark's Danske Bank agreed to buy Northern Bank and Dublin-based National Irish Bank from National Australia Bank for 10.4 billion Danish crowns ($2.6 billion).

"The theft is being investigated by the police in Northern Ireland and we cannot discuss details at this stage," a statement from NAB's headquarters in Melbourne said.

"However, initial indications are that affected staff are safe -- this is our number one priority."

A report from an independent ceasefire monitoring body last month said Protestant and Catholic paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland were involved in major crimes including extortion, smuggling and bank robbery.

Paramilitaries have also been blamed for several other high profile robberies earlier this year, including cases which involved hostage taking.

- REUTERS