BY C.J.MCGINLEY
GARDAI have arrested three men following an armed robbery at Manorcunningham Post Office this morning.
The three men were armed with a knife, hammer and a sledgehammer or hatchet during the robbery at 10.15am.
The men demanded cash from terrified staff and caused considerable damage to the post office.
However while the gang were inside the premises, alert locals contacted Gardai while the postmistress also triggered her personal alarm.
A pursuit took place and Gardai placed along the border used a ‘stinger’ device to disable the van which eventually crashed into a ditch at Killea close to the Derry border.
Inspector Pat O’Donnell told said the arrest of the three men came at the end of what was a “very successful operation.”
“It helped that we had earlier been alerted to a postal van being stolen in Derry and we had officers along the border.
“When the robbery was carried out, we had members in place who were able to apprehend the suspects” he said.
The van used in the attempted robbery is believed to have been a Northern Ireland-based postal van stolen in Derry.
The three suspects were arrested with two taken to Letterkenny Garda station and the third to Buncrana where they are being questioned.
A quantity of euro currency was also recovered at the scene.
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