Stock image: A man places two gold bars in a locker in a vault. Photo: Sven Hoppe via Getty Images.
Detectives are carrying out enquiries into claims that a large quantity of gold was stolen from a safe belonging to the National Party.
Gardaí are now attempting to establish if a crime was committed or if the person who removed the gold was entitled to do so.
Enquiries are ongoing into the matter after gardaí received a report relating to an alleged theft on Tuesday of last week in Dublin 4.
Independent.ie understands that approximately €400,000 in gold was contained in a safe but that not all of the gold was removed.
Gardaí have located the gold that was removed from the vault but are attempting to establish if any offence has been committed.
One source explained that establishing if the individual who removed the gold from the vault was entitled to do so will be key in determining if it was actually stolen or not.
“There may not even be a crime here,” one source said.
In a statement the National Party said that a “considerable quantity in gold” was removed from their safe vault in Dublin.
Two members have also been suspended from the party in relation to the incident.
The National Party also said that the gold formed the “main part of the Party’s reserves in the event of a mishap in general, or more particularly a collapse in the value of the fiat currency”.
Fiat currency is money issued by a government.
A Garda spokesman said: “An Garda Síochána does not comment on third party statements.
“An Garda Síochána does not comment on named individuals.
“An Garda Síochána is carrying out enquiries into an allegation of theft from a premises in Dublin 4”.
