Man and woman held at gunpoint by cigarette thieves

A man and woman were today held at gunpoint as part of a raid which saw thieves steal a substantial amount of cigarettes, police have revealed.

Detectives in Lisburn said at 6.45am two men wearing balaclavas, one armed with a gun, took a man and woman hostage in a house in the Ballymacash area.

The victims were tied up before the men took the woman away in a silver Ford Focus car.

Two other members of the gang then drove the man to a warehouse in Nutts Corner where they stole what police described as a substantial amount of cigarettes, before escaping in a large vehicle.

The man was freed and the woman was left in the Shankill area of Belfast and while both were physically unhurt, they were said to be shocked by their ordeal.

The alarm was raised at around 8am this morning.

Police have appealed for anyone with information, especially anyone who saw the Ford Focus, to come forward.