Money 'linked to Northern raid'

Hugh Orde links money seized in the Irish Republic to the Northern Bank robbery

There are clear indications that money seized during police raids in the Irish Republic is linked to the Northern Bank robbery, the chief constable has said.

Irish police seized almost £3m, £60,000 of it in Northern Bank notes, during raids in Dublin and Cork last month.

Hugh Orde said there were "clear indications" money found in Cork came from December's £26.5m raid in Belfast.

All of the cash is being tested by the Garda Technical Bureau, who have yet to confirm whether the cash is linked.

"There has been a lot of speculation and until we are utterly clear we are not going to say one way or the other, but there are clear indications that it is linked," he said.

Sports club

Mr Orde said police were following a number of lines of inquiry in connection with the raid at the bank's headquarters and were working closely with the Garda and police forces in the UK.

"I am confident that given time and given the lines of inquiry we are following we will bring some people to justice," he said.

Mr Orde also added that police were "without doubt" that £50,000 found at a police sports club in south Belfast in February also came from the Northern robbery.

Last month, both Mr Orde and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy said it was too early to say if the money found in Irish police operations against alleged money laundering came from the Northern robbery.