Police have arrested two individuals following a security alert in east Belfast that prompted the temporary evacuation of residents from their homes.
Officers responded to Victor Place at approximately 11:10 BST after receiving a report of an earlier altercation and suspected weapons at a residential property. A 42-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were taken into custody at the scene, and a number of nearby residents were forced to leave their homes as a precaution.
The evacuated residents were able to return to their properties just before 19:00 BST once the situation had been assessed. Motorists had been advised to avoid the area during the incident.
What were the charges?
The man was arrested on suspicion of possession of firearms in suspicious circumstances and common assault. The woman was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Both individuals remained in custody pending further inquiries.
What did officers find at the property?
Following the arrests, police conducted a search of the property and discovered items of concern. Local policing Inspector Green explained the response:
After the arrests, officers conducted a search of the property and located two potential firearms and two potential explosive devices. As a result, a number of local residents were evacuated and cordons put in place to allow a more thorough examination of the items to be carried out.
Ammunition Technical Officers were deployed to the scene to work alongside police officers in examining the discovered items. The examination determined that all items were imitation devices rather than genuine weapons or explosives.
Community impact
Police acknowledged the disruption caused to the local area and expressed gratitude to residents for their cooperation during the incident.
Thankfully, we later found all items to be imitation.Inspector Green's statement reflected the relief that the situation resolved without the discovery of genuine threats to public safety.
