Four men were charged with blackmail today after an attempt to extort money from a Co Antrim businessman.
They were detained on Wednesday by detectives from the Organised Crime Squad investigating an attempt to get money from the businessman in the Nutts Corner area.
The men - two aged 22, one aged 18 and one 37 - are due to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court tomorrow.
Three of the men are also changed with possession of firearms with intent to endanger life. One of the men faces a further charge of making threats to kill.
During the investigation, a sawn-off shotgun, a handgun and ammunition were seized during searches in the loyalist Ballysillan and Silverstream areas of north Belfast.
