Northern Ireland

Two held after Dublin Airport minibus with passengers on board hijacked

Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport Dublin Airport

TWO men were arrested yesterday after a minibus was hijacked at Dublin Airport with three passengers on board and driven across the border.

The vehicle rammed both a PSNI car and garda car in a cross-border chase involving specialist armed police and a helicopter.

No-one was injured in the hijacking, which began yesterday at about 1am.

It is understood the minibus – a shuttle bus taking people to a nearby hotel – was stolen while the driver was helping another passenger outside Terminal 2.

Three passengers, believed to be from Navan in Co Meath, were dropped off unharmed on the M1 near Julianstown.

The minibus then continued to Drogheda in Co Louth and was pursued by garda units before crossing the border near Dundalk.

It damaged the front of a PSNI vehicle in Crossmaglen Square and then crossed back over the border. No PSNI officers were injured.

The minibus was pursued again by gardaí in Co Monaghan, before it crashed.

Gardaí said the two occupants of the minibus fled on foot before taking possession of a parked car, which was intercepted by officers close to Castleblayney a short time later.

Two men aged in their thirties were arrested on suspicion of unauthorised taking of a mini bus and suspected false imprisonment.

They were yesterday still being questioned at Carrickmacross Garda Station.

Gardaí urged anyone with information about the incident to contact them.

UUP south Armagh councillor David Taylor praised police actions in dealing with the incident.

"This series of events highlights the importance of cross border co-operation between the security forces on both sides of the border," he said.

"There can be no doubt that the incident would have been an extremely frightening experience for the passengers who were on board the bus at the time of the hijacking and I am thankful they were unharmed during their ordeal."