FOUR MEN HAVE been detained in connection with a series of robberies across the south Co Down area in recent months, the PSNI has confirmed.

It follows searches around Newry and Warrenpoint yesterday.

Three men — aged 35, 38 and 49 — were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, false imprisonment, kidnapping, possession of a firearm and robbery.

A 49-year-old man was also detained on suspicion of threats to kill, in addition to the various other suspected crimes.

The searches were staged by officers investigating a robbery in the Smalls Road area of Warrenpoint on 2 March in which a gang who broke into a family’s home and forced a woman in her 50s to hand over jewellery from their shop.

The woman and her husband were tied up by the raiders, along with their 20-year-old daughte, before being taken to the shop, where the woman was told to hand over “a substantial amount of goods”.

The above Junior All Ireland Championship medal from 1946 was amongst the items taken.

The three family members were dumped in a field around seven miles away, before the gang made off.

Another family member later said they had suffered a “brutal” ordeal.

A spokesperson for the PSNI said that a quantity of jewellery was recovered in the course of yesterday’s raids, but said she had no information on whether the GAA medal was also found.

The four men have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

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