POLICE have appealed for information after a masked gang held a man at gunpoint before placing a suspicious object in his vehicle and forcing him to drive to a police station in Co. Tyrone.
The incident unfolded in Omagh at around 10pm on Saturday and saw the area cordoned off and surrounding homes evacuated.
The security alert has now ended, with the suspicious object removed for further testing.
"The misguided and senseless actions of those responsible have caused disruption in the local community," said Inspector Will Brown of the PSNI.
"Our thoughts are with the driver, who was, understandably, badly shaken by the ordeal."
The man was hijacked by three masked men at gunpoint in the Fireagh Road area, off the Dromore Road in Omagh.
The gang placed a suspicious object in the man's silver-coloured Volkswagen Golf and forced him to travel to the Derry Road area and abandon the car outside Omagh Police Station.
A public safety operation was immediately implemented, with a number of people evacuated from their homes and cordons established.
Ammunition Technical Officers examined the object, which has since been removed from the scene and will be subject to further examination to establish its viability.
During the alert, evacuated residents were accommodated in a local leisure centre.
This morning, police cordoned off and searched the grounds of St Mary's Church in Drumragh, close to where the hijacking was reported to have taken place, resulting in services being cancelled.
'Omagh refuses to bow'
Alliance Party councillor for Omagh, Stephen Donnelly, condemned the incident, saying people in Omagh 'are sick of violence'.
"Last night a man was held at gunpoint by three masked men, who placed a suspicious object in his car, and forced him to travel to Omagh Police Station," said Cllr Donnelly.
"We are sick of violence. Omagh refuses to bow to those that would wish us to be ruled by fear.
"We never have and we never will."
Investigations into the incident are continuing, with police appealing to the public for information.
"Thank you to all those who were impacted and to the wider public for your patience and cooperation," added Inspector Brown.
"We are also grateful for the understanding of those impacted by the ongoing police activity in the Fireagh Road area.
"We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of the church on the Fireagh Road, or travelling between the Fireagh Road and Omagh Police Station between 9pm and 10pm last night."
Anyone with information or camera footage is asked to contact police on 101, quoting serial 2015 of May 6, 2023.
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