Six men appeared in court yesterday accused of being part of a plot to carry out a £5,000 robbery allegedly linked to the INLA.
Police claimed they targeted a house in west Belfast where the cash was discovered last month during a major surveillance operation by the PSNI's Paramilitary Crime Task Force.
A man living at the property on Colin Glen Green escaped out the back door just before the suspected raiders and officers all arrived at the scene, detectives believe.
Damien O'Neill (39) of Arundel Courts; Patrick McKernan (55) from Norglen Parade; Martin McKernan (28) of Coolnasilla Drive; Damien Hall (42) from Cavendish Street; Kevin Delaney (36) of Ballymurphy Road - all in Belfast - and David McCrory (47) from Cloona Manor in Dunmurry, are jointly charged with conspiracy to rob.
Belfast Magistrates Court heard McCrory, Hall and Delaney were arrested outside the property on August 16.
They had arrived in a car driven by Martin McKernan dressed in dark clothing, masks, snoods or hats, police said.
Officers detained O'Neill inside an adjacent property, while Patrick McKernan was arrested at another location.
When police entered the house allegedly targeted, they discovered a bag containing £5,000 in cash and a passport in the name of the man thought to live there.
Cartons of warm Chinese food were located beside the money, but the occupant was not present.
"We suspect he may have fled out the rear of the property," an investigating detective said.
District Judge Anne Marshall was told the arrests followed a "proactive, intelligence-led operation" involving aerial surveillance and private CCTV obtained under warrant from other properties in the area.
It was claimed that the defendants are associated with a group which takes "punitive action" against those who come to police attention.
Asked if he could disclose which grouping was being referred to, the detective replied: "The INLA."
None of the six defendants are accused of any paramilitary-related offences.
Their lawyers claimed there was insufficient evidence to connect them to a conspiracy to rob charge based on police speculation.
During cross-examination, barrister Jonathan Browne submitted: "You are not in possession of any information to suggest that the occupant of the property, whoever that is, was going to be robbed?"
The detective replied: "No."
He added: "The only information we have is the cash found in the living room in £1,000 bundles."
Prosecution counsel insisted it could be inferred that the defendants were intent on entering the house.
"This was clearly a very significant operation put in place, it was thought-out, organised and forensically aware, with efforts being made to hide their identity," he contended.
Following submissions Mrs Marshall ruled there was sufficient evidence to connect the defendants to the charge.
Granting bail to all six men, she imposed a curfew, exclusion zone and banned them from contacting each other.
The case was adjourned to September 29.