Kidnappers arrested in Belfast

Two men who admitted kidnapping a dissident republican were arrested today.

Two men who admitted kidnapping a dissident republican were arrested today.

Detectives in Belfast swooped on two of four men who abducted Bobby Tohill from a city centre bar in February 2004.

The incident caused a crisis in the political process after PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde linked the operation to the Provisional IRA.

The two men arrested today, Gerard McCrory (33) from Dermott Hill Road and Thomas Tolan (34) from Ballymurphy Parade, both in Belfast, will appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court in the morning.

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Two others are still at large.

Mr Tohill was rescued by police after the van in which he was being carried was stopped after he had been abducted from Kelly's Cellars bar.

The four absconded in May last year after pleading guilty to the offence. They had been released on bail.

Those remaining free are Harry Fitzsimmons (36) from Spamount Street and Liam Rainey (31) from New Barnsley Crescent.

A security video recorded the four men getting out of a blue van, enter the bar and leave with Mr Tohill.

Moments later, the van was recorded at traffic lights at the Millfield and Divis Street junction west of the city centre where it crashed into a police car, which was trying to stop it.

The offenders had been awaiting sentence when they escaped.

Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness called for them to hand themselves over to the courts.

PA