Driver threatened with gun and forced into car boot in East Belfast

Q Newsdesk

A driver has been threatened with a handgun and forced into the boot of his own car in East Belfast.

It happened late on Thursday night on Isoline Street.

The man was then driven in his White Seat Ibiza to an adress in West Belfast where he was tied up and abandoned.

A few hours later the same type of car was used in an armed robbery in the Sandhurst Drive area of South Belfast.

Police think both incidents are linked - and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Detective Inspector Michael McDonnell said:

“In the first incident, in the Isoline Street area of east Belfast between 10pm and 10.30pm on Thursday night, a male driver was exiting his white Seat Ibiza car, when he was confronted by 2 males. One of the males was reported to have been armed with a handgun. The driver was forced back into his car and then placed into the boot of his own car and driven to an address in the Glenside Road area of west Belfast where he was tied up and left. The man managed to free himself a short time later however and contact police.”

“At around 2.30am on Friday morning as two men alighted from a taxi in the Sandhurst Drive area of south Belfast, they were approached by three or four masked men.  One of the masked men proceeded to assault one of the males and a firearm was produced. Demands were then made for the assaulted man to hand over belongings including an iphone. The masked males then made off in a white Seat Ibiza, which was found burnt out in Ardmonagh Parade in west Belfast at around 3.30am.”

“I believe both incidents to be linked and am appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident in Isoline Street, the robbery in Sandhurst Drive or who saw the white Seat Leon being abandoned and set on fire in Ardmonagh Parade to contact detectives