Yorketown robbery victim Francis ‘Dig’ Taheny had just sold his Yorke Peninsula farm

A semi-retired Yorketown farmer had just sold his property when a gang allegedly set upon him and stole guns and $1m in cash, locals say.

A semi-retired farmer had just sold his Yorketown property and was planning a move to Adelaide when a gang staged a violent home invasion and robbed him of more than $1m in cash, locals say.

SA detectives are investigating the vicious attack in which three NSW-based men allegedly stole more than $1m in cash, several guns and the victim’s Toyota sedan before fleeing the tiny Yorke Peninsula town in the early hours of Monday.

Locals have identified the victim as 74-year-old Francis Taheny, known to friends as ‘Dig’.

Mr Taheny was taken to hospital with head injuries after the attack but has since been released from the local health facility.

Friends and family told The Advertiser Mr Taheny had recently sold his 259ha mixed farming property and house in Yorketown.

According to Land Services SA estimates, the potential capital value of the property is about $3.3m.

Francis Taheny, aka Dig, pictured in the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, during a trip to Japan. Picture: Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Mr Taheny’s home at Yorketown, which he had recently sold ahead of a move to Adelaide. Picture: realestate.com.au

They said the 74-year-old, who recently had a hip replacement, was planning to move to Adelaide and join his family there in the coming year.

A real estate website lists the settlement date for the property sale as February 28.

Locals said Mr Taheny had a large coin collection and was known for using cash.

According to friends, Mr Taheny was a member of the local bowling club and an avid traveller. The local publication featured photographs of Mr Taheny with a newspaper in hand in countries including Japan and South Africa.

Cash and coins found inside a van after the Yorketown robbery. Picture: NSW Police

Fifteen firearms were found inside the van, allegedly stolen from the home. Picture: NSW Police

Yorketown resident Martin Webster said the robbery wasn’t the “sort of thing that happens around here very often”.

“They must have known he’s got money there somewhere,” he said. “He’s not one to go out and flaunt things.”

Mr Webster, who has known Mr Taheny for years and used to play golf with him, described the 74-year-old as a private man.

He said the father collected coins and was an avid traveller who was planning his next holiday.

He added “some people don’t trust banks”.

Yorketown Martin Webster. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Yorke Mid-North officers launched a statewide manhunt after the gang fled the tiny town – population 969 – with a “very large amount” of stolen cash, more than a dozen firearms and the victim’s Toyota sedan.

Officers stopped a white Hyundai van at 8.45am on Monday on the Barrier Highway, almost 600km away near Broken Hill, arresting two men over the home invasion, while a third fled on foot.

The two men - the van’s driver, 49-year-old Scott Buhagiar, of Narara, and 35-year-old Matthew Ryan - faced separate NSW courts on Tuesday where they did not seek bail.

Police will seek to extradite them to SA on a number of theft and firearms charges.

Mr Taheny’s car was dumped at the neighbouring town of Minlaton, some 30km north of Yorketown, on Monday.

Coins and ammo found inside the van linked to the Yorketown attack. Picture: NSW Police

Inside the car, forensic officers found 14 firearms, another loaded semiautomatic shotgun and a large quantity of collectable coins and cash linked to the Yorketown attack.

Mr Buhagiar was charged with knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, receive property stolen outside NSW, possess loaded firearm in a public place, not keep firearm safely and 14 counts of possess unauthorised firearm.

Mr Ryan, of Koonawarra, in Wollongong’s southwest, was arrested in another white van at Cobar at 3pm on Monday, more than 1000km from the crime scene.

His charges included an outstanding warrant, driving while disqualified, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime and receive property stolen outside NSW.

A search allegedly found more stolen items from SA, police said.

Mr Ryan is due to face Dubbo Local Court in March, while Mr Buhagiar is set to face Broken Hill Local Court in April.

Originally published as Yorketown robbery victim Francis ‘Dig’ Taheny had just sold his Yorke Peninsula farm