Police Revisit Kidnapping Scenes

Detectives are revisiting three scenes as part of an investigation into a kidnap and robbery which began in Bangor and ended in Belfast last week.

Police say a "substantial sum of money" was handed over during the kidnapping, which began on 17 January at about 22:15 when three masked and armed men entered a property in the Bexley area of Bangor, County Down.

A 52 year-old man and his 18-year-old son were in the house at the time.

At around 04:00 on the morning of 18 January, the teenage son was taken from his home in the family car; a grey Renault Laguna GJZ 9090.

The number plates were then changed to false ones with the registration number RJZ 6968.

The victim was taken to a vacant house in the Beechmount Parade area of west Belfast.

At about 9:30 he managed to escape and raise the alarm.

But two hours previous to the teenager’s escape, at about 07:00, money was passed to the driver of the family’s Renault Laguna at the Anchor Lodge filling station on the Ravenhill Road in south Belfast.

A cash-in-transit vehicle was in the forecourt at the time.

The Renault Laguna was seen in the Westlink/Barrack Street area and was later abandoned in the Ainsworth Avenue area of west Belfast.

Police are also appealing for information about a dark grey Honda Civic car which may have stopped for a wheel change between Belfast and Bangor sometime during the incident.

Detectives from Serious Crime Branch are revisiting three key scenes: Bexley in Bangor, Anchor Lodge Filling Station on the Ravenhill Road and Durham House between College Square North and Galway Street.

Detective Inspector Chris Wilson said: "The victims of this kidnap and robbery are still recovering from their terrifying ordeal. Those responsible for inflicting such terror pose a risk to everyone in the community while they remain at large."

(IT)