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| Man arrested at Gatwick Airport over suspected links to Brussels and Paris attacks | Man arrested at Gatwick Airport over suspected links to Brussels and Paris attacks |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Five people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences – including one man who was detained at Gatwick airport – after an investigation involving MI5, Belgian and French authorities. | |
| West Midlands Police said three men and a 29-year-old woman were arrested in Birmingham on Thursday night and a 26-year-old man was held at the airport in the early hours of Friday. | West Midlands Police said three men and a 29-year-old woman were arrested in Birmingham on Thursday night and a 26-year-old man was held at the airport in the early hours of Friday. |
| Officers were searching a number of properties in Birmingham as part of the ongoing investigation. | |
| Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, who leads on counter-terrorism for the West Midlands, said: “This action forms part of an extensive investigation by West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit, together with the wider counter-terrorism network, MI5 and international partners including Belgian and French authorities to address any associated threat to the UK following the attacks in Europe. | |
| “The arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led. There was no risk to the public at any time and there is no information to suggest an attack in the UK was being planned.” | “The arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led. There was no risk to the public at any time and there is no information to suggest an attack in the UK was being planned.” |
| Police said all five were held “on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”. They were being questioned at a police station in the West Midlands. The men arrested in Birmingham were aged 26, 40 and 59. | Police said all five were held “on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”. They were being questioned at a police station in the West Midlands. The men arrested in Birmingham were aged 26, 40 and 59. |
| Police refused to give any further details beyond a statement on their website. | Police refused to give any further details beyond a statement on their website. |
| Belgian and French authorities have detained dozens of suspects in their investigations into the terrorist attacks on Brussels and Paris, which were both claimed by Isis. | Belgian and French authorities have detained dozens of suspects in their investigations into the terrorist attacks on Brussels and Paris, which were both claimed by Isis. |
| Thirty-two people were killed in bomb blasts at Brussels airport and on a subway train in the city last month. A total of 130 victims were killed and hundreds wounded in Paris when suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a concert hall, a football stadium, restaurants and bars on the same night in November. | |
| A spokesperson for the Belgian federal prosecutors office said they were unable to comment on the arrests. | A spokesperson for the Belgian federal prosecutors office said they were unable to comment on the arrests. |