Gardaí are trying to establish if there was a racist motive behind an overnight attack on an Asian taxi driver in Dublin.
The incident resulted in the victim being badly beaten and his car stolen and burnt out in the early hours of this morning.
The investigation into the robbery and assault of the man, originally from Pakistan, has resulted in the arrests of three men who were this evening still being detained by gardaí.
The victim was taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries, which sources said are not life threatening.
The taxi driver was working in the early hours of this morning when he stopped and picked up three male passengers on the N4 at Palmerstown in west Dublin.
The men then threatened the taxi driver in his car and forced him to drive westwards towards nearby Lucan.
The 32 year-old taxi driver told gardaí he believed his attackers were in their late teens to early 20s and were armed with a knife.
The men ordered the driver to take them to a secluded spot at Tubber Lane on the outskirts of Lucan.
When they arrived there the driver was told to get out of the car and was beaten by the men, who then drove off in the man's taxi, a black BMW.
After the injured party was left by the roadside he managed to raise the alarm and a garda operation swung into action. The men who had stolen his car crashed the vehicle into a ditch on Tubber Lane, just a short distance from where the taxi driver was beaten.
The car was later found at that spot on fire and was completely destroyed by the flames.
In a follow-up operation three suspects were arrested. They are aged 19, 21 and 28 years. They are being questioned at Lucan and Ronanstown Garda stations under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
They are being questioned about the suspected unlawful taking of the victim’s car and can be held for up to 24 hours without charge.
The area where the vehicle was found and where the taxi driver was beaten were both sealed off and technically examined today.
The injured party has been discharged from James Connolly Hospital and has already been interviewed by gardaí.
Anyone who was around the Palmerstown Rd area between 3am and 4am today and saw any unusual or suspicious behaviour is asked to contact gardai as is anyone who may have been in the Tubber Lane area at the same time.
Gardai in Lucan are investigating the case can be reached in confidence at (01) 666 7300.
