GARDAI used stun grenades to foil an armed robbery by a five-man gang on a businessman's home in a carefully planned sting operation.

Five men were arrested, one a criminal with multiple convictions for armed robbery who is considered to be one of Cork's most dangerous men.

The arrests were made over a period of five hours from 11pm on Sunday to 4am yesterday after the attempted raid on the isolated Glounthaune home of Pat Glavin, who runs a chip van business.

Mr Glavin, who runs Uncle Bob's and Advanced Catering services, had been advised by gardai to stay away from his home last weekend while they mounted a massive surveillance operation.

Friends said he was "shocked" by the raid but hugely impressed by the professionalism of gardai.

Mr Glavin spoke briefly to the Irish Independent only to say: "I have absolutely nothing to say about it. Nothing at all . . . good luck."

Gardai stressed that no firearms were discharged during the operation and no one was injured. None of the five raiders were armed when detained but gardai were yesterday trawling woodland and fields in east Cork for weapons.

Locals reported numerous loud 'bangs' from the Caherlag area of Glounthaune while the arrests were ongoing.

These involved non-lethal stun grenades used to incapacitate suspects.

The Cork gang specialises in armed robberies and the burglary of wealthy businessmen.

SHOCKED

The arrested men will now be questioned about a spate of robberies in the south Munster area over recent months including a raid last March in Carrignavar on the home of a gambling industry executive where a woman in her 50s was tied up before the gang fled with over €10,000 in cash.

Shocked Caherlag locals described a military-style operation as gardai, including armed officers, warned residents to stay inside their homes using megaphones.

"I heard the helicopter go over the village and then some loud bangs. Then where were searchlights in the fields. It was like something out of a film," Glounthaune resident Pa Murphy said.

One neighbour said locals were astounded by the dramatic events. "No one knew what was going on . . . it was like 'The Fugitive' kind of thing. There were loud bangs that sounded like a fire-cracker outside. Then the chopper was overhead. All we could do was stay inside and keep a low profile. We were pretty shocked," neighbour Pat O'Shea said.

Gardai obtained intelligence in June that Mr Glavin was being targeted.

His two-storey house, located on a quiet country road 3km from Glounthaune village, was monitored by gardai for over a month.

Gardai were placed inside his home and around the property while the garda helicopter conducted regular countryside sweeps.

Several officers equipped with night-vision goggles took up positions hidden in ditches overlooking the Glavin home.

At 11pm on Sunday, detectives triggered their operation when three of the five suspects approached the property under cover of darkness.

Gardai used stun grenades to disorientate two men who were attempting to break into the house.

Two others were arrested shortly after 1am when a car was stopped between Glounthaune and Glanmire. They were taken to Midleton garda station.

A fifth man, the gang leader with multiple armed robbery convictions, was arrested shortly after 4am at a house on Cork's northside and taken to Mayfield garda station.

The man, who is in his late 40s, has the operating 'trademark' of stealing powerful Swedish-built cars for use during raids.

Irish Independent