BREAKING: Drama as passengers taken hostage after bus was hi-jacked at Dublin Airport

Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation into a stolen mini-bus and suspected false imprisonment of three passengers at Dublin Airport.

The drama unfolded shortly after 1am this morning. Gardai confirmed an alarm was raised when a mini-bus was taken during an incident at the airport.

It is understood three passengers were on the bus when two men boarded it and drove in the direction of the M1 motorway.

The passengers, who were unharmed, got off the bus a short time later on the M1 near Julianstown. The mini-bus then continued north on the motorway until it was located near Drogheda and followed by Garda units, before crossing the border north of Dundalk.

The Police Service of Ireland were alerted and the mini-bus was located again a short time later after it returned across the border into Co Monaghan.

The vehicle was then followed by gardaí before it was abandoned following a crash.

The two occupants of the mini-bus fled on foot before taking possession of a parked car.

This car was intercepted near Castleblayney  a short time later by armed officers from the Garda Regional Support Unit with assistance from Garda Air Support.

A Garda spokesperson confirmed the occupants of the car, two men in their 30s, were arrested. They are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Carrickmacross Garda Station.

“Investigations are ongoing and further updates will follow,” the spokesperson added.