The well planned heist which led to £1 million worth of cigarettes falling into criminal hands has raised a number of serious concerns.
The fact that an armed gang numbering at least 12 was able to set up a bogus road block on the main road between Belfast and Dublin and stop traffic, is alarming.
This gang, posing as workmen, hijacked a lorry carrying a cargo of cigarettes and abducted the driver, subjecting him to a terrifying and brutal ordeal which left him with minor injuries.
The highly organised nature of this operation and the fact that it took place in south Armagh, has given rise to the speculation that republicans were involved.
The Republic's justice minister Michael McDowell last week alleged that the IRA was engaged in criminal activity to fund political campaigns.
While Sinn Féin strongly denied this accusation, the firm suspicion remains that the IRA, or elements within it, are still embroiled in illicit enterprises.
If this is the case, the republican movement has serious questions to answer. Illegal behaviour cannot be tolerated, no matter who perpetrates it.
