Nine men arrested after suspicious vans stopped containing hatchets and machetes
Nine men have each been charged with offences including possession of an offensive weapon in a public place after police responded to reports of two suspicious transit vans in the Newtownabbey area on Saturday morning, 28 January.
In a statement police say they stopped one of the vehicles in the vicinity of Swanston Road North – and the other on the Antrim Road at around 10.50am.
The statement adds that they recovered a number of weapons including hatchets and machetes.
The occupants of the vans, nine men aged between 18 and 41, were arrested and have since charged with a number of offences to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court today, Monday 30 January.
As is normal procedure, the charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.