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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Ryan Smith

Woman arrested by police investigating hijacking and bomb hoax at Simon Coveney peace event in Belfast

A woman has been arrested in connection with a security threat at a peace event on Friday where Simon Coveney was due to be a keynote speaker.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs was among those evacuated from the Houben Centre in North Belfast after a van was hijacked and left in the car park of the venue.

The attack has been linked to the UVF.

READ MORE: UVF believed to be behind bomb hoax suspected to be targeted at Simon Coveney

A 38-year-old woman has since been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm in suspicious circumstances, possessing criminal property and concealing criminal property.

It follows searches conducted on Saturday evening in the Ballysillan and Springmartin areas of Belfast, as Belfast Live reports.

A suspected firearm, two vehicles, controlled drugs and a large sum of cash were also recovered in the searches.

On Friday night, Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said loyalist paramilitaries are the chief suspects, namely the UVF.

A white Vauxhall Vivaro van was hijacked in Sydney Street West off the Shankill Road between 9am and 10am when the driver was threatened by two gunmen and forced to drive a short distance to another street where a device was placed in the vehicle.

Believing that he was carrying a live bomb and that his family was being threatened, the victim was then ordered to drive to Holy Cross Church where a funeral service was taking place, which was also disrupted.

Mr McEwan added: "At this early stage of the investigation, our assessment is that these crimes were carried out by loyalist paramilitary groups. We're keeping an open mind but one of the primary lines of investigation is the UVF."

READ MORE: Simon Coveney 'in safe location' as organisers of peace event slam 'hijackers'

READ MORE: Tony Holohan praised for 'outstanding service' as he steps down as CMO after two decades

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