A 29-year-old man was last night charged in connection with the kidnapping of a teenage boy by a gang demanding a £100,000 ransom.The man, who has been accused of assisting offenders, is to appear tomorrow at Belfast Magistrates' Court.
He was among several people arrested in a police operation launched after the 16-year-old was taken from his home at Mallusk on the outskirts of Belfast on Monday.
Detectives were last night questioning another four men.
The youth, who was released on Saturday at around 5 a.m., is said to be "deeply traumatised" after the incident. He was kidnapped by a gang of armed and masked men from his home shortly before midnight on Monday.
Within an hour, the kidnappers made a ransom demand for £100,000, threatening to kill the teenager if the money was not paid.
Up to 700 police officers were involved in a covert operation to secure his safe release. He was dumped from a car on a roadside in Glengormley, also on the outskirts of north Belfast, early on Saturday. It is understood that at least part of the ransom money was paid.
The youth, whose name was not released, needed urgent hospital treatment for injuries suffered in at least one beating during his captivity. The Assistant Chief Constable for Belfast, Mr Alan McQuillan, said the teenager had endured a "harrowing ordeal".
"He appears to have been held in very difficult circumstances. Our priority has been his release and his safety. The people who were involved in this would have had the wherewithal to kill him."
The detective in charge of the operation, Det Supt Alan Mains, said the gang involved was highly organised and ruthless and the threat to the youth had been real. He did not suspect paramilitary involvement, he added. "This was a very professional outfit in terms of methodology and ransom."
The car from which the hostage was dumped was stopped in Belfast and the driver arrested.