Cross Border Policing Operation Nets Robbers

A major policy change on cross-border 'hot pursuits' first mooted last autumn may have paid dividends.

Three men have been arrested after an armed robbery was followed by just such a cross-border car pursuit operation.

Both PSNI and gardaí were involved in the chase during which a number of vehicles were rammed.

The incident began when three men, one armed with a handgun, forced their way into a parochial house in Abbey Street, Armagh, at about 5pm on Tuesday.

PSNI pursued the men's van towards the border while gardaí also took up the chase until the vehicle was finally stopped in Monaghan.

Three police cars were rammed before the van was eventually brought to a halt.

Two men were arrested by the gardaí while the PSNI detained another man in Benburb, County Tyrone. A quantity of money and other items were recovered.

During the robbery a housekeeper was locked in the bathroom while the raiders searched the parochial house and found a sum of cash.

The PSNI arrived at the scene as a vehicle was leaving but it failed to stop.

Last October, it was reported that Ian Paisley Jnr wanted to raise the issue of 'hot pursuit' at a British-Irish Council summit, reflecting the way that other European countries allow police forces to cross their borders in pursuit of criminal suspects.

At the time, the Irish Justice Minister Brian Lenihan 'hedged his bets' and said that while not participating in the Schengen agreement – which allows cross-border pursuits in other countries – this was not a barrier to effective cooperation between the PSNI and the gardai".

See: Hot Pursuit Rights Sought

(BMcC/JM)