However the gang, which had travelled from Dublin in a Dublin-registered Ford vehicle, hadn’t counted on the vigilance of local people and Gardai.
The gang intimidated staff at the petrol station in Glenties but customers stayed with staff until they left.
They also went into the Co-op and several other businesses, but once again alert business owners and members of the public kept an eye on them.
The thieves did manage to steal a number of items from a pharmacy in the town, but they were low-value goods.
By the time the gang left Glenties, THREE different eye-witnesses had contacted Gardaí to give them the registration number of the thieves’ car.
Donegal Daily understands that Gardai then tailed the vehicle, alerting colleagues in the Ballyshannon District and later this evening three people were arrested in Donegal Town.
Stolen items were recovered from the vehicle.
We also understand the gang drove from Dublin today to specifically target Donegal.
Glenties and Dungloe had been raided by thieves from the North last Monday.
The gang entered ten homes and business premises in Glenties alone, escaping with cash from The Paper Stop newsagent.
But after a text alert and reports from locals three people were arrested by the PSNI. One of them has since escaped.
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