Man (32) charged following armed robberies at businesses in Ballyronan, Coagh and Clonoe
A 32-year-old man is due in court in connection to a spate of armed robberies in the Mid Ulster area on Thursday.
He has been charged with three counts of robbery, taking conveyance without authority and common assault and is to appear to appear at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday, February 3.
A man aged in his 50s who was also arrested has been released on bail to allow for further police enquiries.
The arrests were made in Portadown by police who are investigating three robberies in commercial premises carried out by men armed with a gun in Ballyronan, Coagh and Clonoe.
Detective Sergeant Robinson said: “Staff were threatened by two masked men - and were ordered to hand over a sum of cash.
"A blue Audi A6, believed to have been used by the suspects, was stolen from outside an address in Portadown and later found on fire at Drumcree Community Centre.”
Police said the first robbery took place at a filling station on the Ballinderry Bridge Road in Coagh at around 6.50am on Thursday. Two masked men armed with a handgun entered the store and threatened staff, placing a weapon to the head of one man forcing him to open the till. The robbers made off with a sum of cash, travelling in a vehicle driven by a third man.
A police spokesperson said: “The second robbery happened at a supermarket on Shore Road in Ballyronan and was reported just before 7am. Again two men armed with a handgun, threatened staff, placing the gun to the head of one staff member, before making off with cash and a quantity of cigarettes.
"A short time later the third armed robbery was reported. This time a shop on Moor Road in Clonoe was robbed at gunpoint, with the suspects again making off with cash.”