Delivery driver forced at gunpoint to take object to police station

A delivery driver in Northern Ireland was forced at gunpoint to drive his vehicle to a police station sparking a major security alert, a senior police officer has said.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the force’s specialist terrorism unit were leading the investigation into the incident in Lurgan, Co Armagh.

A number of roads have been closed in the centre of the town and homes evacuated over the alert.

Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister Naomi Long has described it as a “shameful and dangerous attack”.

MP for the area Carla Lockhart said she understood that dissident republicans were behind the incident.

The alert began around 10.30pm on Monday night.

Church Place, Church Walk and Wellington Street are currently closed to traffic, as are sections of Market Street, William Street and North Street.

A number of houses have been evacuated and the town hall has been opened to support those moved from their homes.

Mr Henderson told the BBC: “At about 10.30pm last night, a fast food delivery driver was driving their white Audi car in the Deramore Drive area of Kilwilkie in Lurgan.

“The driver, in a terrifying development, was forced to stop their vehicle and threatened at gunpoint, and then the hijackers placed an object inside the vehicle and that driver was then forced and threatened to drive the vehicle to Lurgan police station.”

Mr Henderson said the officer drove to the station and then alerted police.

He added: “Since then there has been a really significant policing operation which we have been coordinating overnight to make sure the car and the contents of the car were secure and safe.

“That has led to the evacuation of a number of homes in the area.

“Clearly an absolutely terrifying ordeal to the poor man who was forced to drive the car, hugely disruptive and distressing event for the local community in Lurgan.

“Our specialist terrorism investigation unit have been leading the investigation into it.”

Ms Long said: “This is a shameful and dangerous attack that has put lives at risk and caused disruption and upset to the local community.

“There is absolutely no place for this utterly reckless and abhorrent behaviour.

“I would like to commend the police officers who responded quickly and professionally to this incident and my thoughts are also with all those who have been caught up by this despicable attack.”

Ms Lockhart said it was a “very serious incident”.

She added: “It cannot be understated the seriousness of it, but the resolve of this community against these individuals has been something else and I want to reassure the community that we will continue to call it out.

“I want to assure them they can come forward to the PSNI, they can report anything they have seen.

“These individuals are pathetic, they need to be apprehended by the police and to face the full rigours of the law.”

Asked who she thought was responsible, the DUP MP said: “My understanding is that it is dissident republicans, they are small in number.

“There is a small nucleus that want to drag this place back.

“This screams of the past, it is like something you may have reported on years ago.

“It is not wanted, we have seen widespread disruption, we have seen business impacted, people put out of their homes and that is not what we want in 2026.”

Sinn Fein MLA John O’Dowd said: “Police have now confirmed a suspicious object was placed in a vehicle which was left outside Lurgan police station.

“The actions of those involved stand in stark contrast to the scenes in Lurgan only two weeks ago when thousands gathered to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, with a parade and family fun day.

“Those scenes of joy and hope are what Lurgan and its people are about.

“Those behind this morning’s actions represent no one but themselves, and stand isolated from the community.

“Progress will not be stymied by these people, Lurgan will continue to move forward.

“I want to once again thank all those who helped and offered shelter to those families who were out of their homes as a result of this alert.

“And I want to offer my solidarity to the van driver who went through a terrifying experience.”

Alliance Party deputy leader Eoin Tennyson said his thoughts were with all those who had been impacted.

He said: “The kind of panic, trauma and disruption caused by this attack is a stark reminder of the dark days of our past, days we will not allow ourselves to be dragged back to by those who only stand to cause our communities harm.”

SDLP leader Claire Hanna said: “It was a completely reckless act and we could have been waking up to a very different situation today.”