A man has been apprehended in Dundalk, Co Louth in connection with a car hijacking incident in Belfast, which involved a 17-year-old female passenger. The girl managed to flee the vehicle when it halted in Lisburn, as reported by the Northern Ireland Police Service (PSNI). The car was later spotted travelling at high velocity on the A1, a route that extends into the N1/M1 in the Republic.
According to the PSNI, they received a report on 28th September concerning a car – that had been parked in the Botanic Avenue area – stolen with a young female still onboard. The girl was able to flee when the car paused on Saintfield Road, Lisburn.
The vehicle was sighted shortly after, travelling at speeds exceeding 100mph (160km/h) on the A1. Subsequently, the PSNI contacted An Garda Síochána (AGS) to notify them the car was heading towards the border.
At approximately 2.20am on the same day, PSNI received an update from AGS stating they had located the stolen vehicle and arrested a 25-year-old male in Dundalk. The suspect remains in detention.
While the female victim was not physically harmed, she was understandably traumatised by the incident. The PSNI acknowledged the valuable, cooperative work of their colleagues in the AGS, which resulting in the successful recovery of the vehicle and arrest of the suspect.
According to Gardaí, the vehicle entered the Republic via N1 southbound and was later found on Newry Road in Dundalk, Co Louth. The arrested man is currently being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. The vehicle was confiscated by the police and is being examined technically.
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