Northern Irish police charge man arrested over Irish foreign minister attack

A man arrested by detectives investigating the hijacking and placing of a suspect device

A man arrested by detectives investigating the hijacking and placing of a suspect device in a van that targeted Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney in Northern Ireland earlier this year was charged with firearms offences, Qazet.az reports according to the police .

Two men allegedly hijacked the van on March 25 and ordered the driver to go to a peace-building event in Belfast, where Coveney was speaking. Coveney was taken off stage by officials and quickly driven away. The device was later declared a hoax.

Police said on Saturday that detectives from the terrorism investigation unit had charged the man with possession of a firearm and ammunition in suspicious circumstances, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of a handgun without a certificate, and possession of ammunition without a certificate.

The 46-year-old man, who was arrested on Wednesday in relation to the bomb hoax, is due to appear in court later on Saturday, police said.

He was the second person charged in relation to the incident after another man was charged in March with preparation of terrorist acts, hijacking and the placing of an article causing a bomb hoax.