A 36-year-old man is being questioned in connection with a burglary in which a mother was threatened with boiling water in front of her two young children.
Detectives arrested the man in the Shore Road area of north Belfast today.
He was detained on suspicion of robbery, aggravated burglary and possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit and indictable offence.
The arrest was in relation to two investigations.
On September 20, three masked men forced their way into a house in Downview Gardens in the north of the city.
A woman, who was at home with two young children, was pushed to the floor.
She was threatened with violence and a kettle was boiled with threats to pour the water over her before she handed over money.
Detective Inspector Kerry Brennan said: "This extremely frightening incident took place in front of the woman’s two young children and left her afraid for both her own life and the safety of her children. I have no doubt that her two little ones will now be having nightmares about these dangerous masked men."
The man was also arrested in connection with a robbery of a Chinese wholesale supermarket in Duncrue Street in August, when a woman was grabbed by the throat and ordered to open a safe and till by three men armed with a hatchet and bolt cutter.
Another man is thought to have waited outside the premises.
A substantial sum of money was taken.
DI Brennan said: "Both of these incidents were deeply distressing to the two women involved. Both of our investigations remain ongoing and I continue to appeal to anyone with information, or who may have noticed any suspicious activity in either of the areas, to get in touch".
