A group of terrified passengers were taken hostage in the early hours as a mini bus was hijacked by two men at Dublin Airport.
The bus was taken from the transport hub around 1 o'clock this morning and driven along the M1, and the passengers managed to escape near Julianstown.
The two men continued north on the M1, when the minibus was spotted by gardai near Drogheda, who chased it through Dundalk and then into Northern Ireland.
The PSNI were then alerted, and the bus was spotted once again after crossing the border into Co Monaghan where the Garda pursuit continued.
The bus crashed and was abandoned by the two men who fled by foot and stole a parked car. The car was then caught near Castleblayney.
A garda spokesman said: "Two men have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the unauthorised taking of a mini bus and suspected false imprisonment of three passengers following an incident at Dublin Airport on 8th January 2020.
"Shortly before 1am the alarm was raised when a mini bus was taken during an incident at Dublin Airport.
"It’s understood that three passengers were in the mini bus when two males boarded the bus and drove in the direction of the M1. The passengers alighted from the bus a short time later on the M1 near Julianstown, unharmed."
They continued: "It’s understood the mini bus continued north on the M1 until it was located near Drogheda and followed by Garda units before crossing the border north of Dundalk.
"The PSNI were alerted and the mini bus was located again a short time later having returned across the border in Co Monaghan and was followed by Gardaí before it was abandoned having crashed.
"The two occupants of the mini bus fled on foot before taking possession of a parked car. This car was intercepted by Garda RSU members with assistance from Garda Air Support near Castleblayney a short time later.
"The occupants of the car, two men in their 30s, were arrested and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Carrickmacross Garda Station.
"Investigations are ongoing and further updates will follow."
