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Anti-terror police arrest four men in London raids Anti-terror police arrest four men in London raids
(about 7 hours later)
Four men have been arrested in London as part of an investigation into Islamist-related terrorism, Scotland Yard has said. One of four men arrested in London early on Tuesday over a suspected terrorist plot to mount an attack in Britain is believed by investigators to have links to Syria and Islamic State (Isis).
It is understood that one of the four is suspected of having a connection to Islamic State (Isis), the violent group that has captured large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, and that the arrests are linked to a possible plot. Counter-terrorism officials said one of the group may have had access to weapons and this was reflected by the fact armed officers led the raid on his address. During that raid an officer fired an electric current from a Taser intended to subdue a suspect.
One of the suspects was Tasered during the dawn raids across the capital. The presence of officers from the Specialist Firearms Command suggests the risk assessment was high. The four men, aged 20 to 21, were being questioned at police stations in central London.
The men, aged 20 to 21, were being questioned at police stations in central London on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. The Metropolitan police said officers from its counter-terrorism command had arrested the four “on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.
Foreign policy and security analysts have been warning that there could be repercussions in the UK after British fighter planes joined the bombing of Isis targets in Iraq. It is not believed that explosives were involved in any plot, although searches were described as at an early stage.
The arrests are not connected to the Isis member with a British accent who has been linked to the beheadings of foreign hostages and who the FBI claims to have identified. A Whitehall source told the Press Association that officers believed the raids were an early disruption of what could have been a “significant plot”.
Surveillance led the security service MI5 and counter terrorism officers to assess that one of the men may have access to weapons, hence the decision to send armed officers to one of the addresses raided from Scotland Yard’s specialist firearms unit SCO19. It was at that address that the Taser was fired. It is understood that one of the four has a connection to Isis, the Islamist extremist group that has captured large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria and has been responsible for the beheading of Western hostages, including two Britons.
It is not believed that any plot involved explosives, although searches were described as being at an early stage. Foreign policy and security analysts have been warning that there could be a retaliation in the UK in response to British fighter planes joining the US and some Arab states in bombing raids on Isis in Iraq. An Isis member last week called in a video for Muslims in Britain to rise up to cause terror in the country.
The four men arrested were all resident in Britain. One of the addresses was in west London and the raids happened early this morning. However, the arrests are not connected to the Isis member with a British accent shown in videos of the beheadings. Although the man was masked in the videos, the FBI claims he has been identified.
The raids followed a pre-planned operation with at least some of the men having been subject to monitoring by counter terrorism investigators for some time. The four men arrested were all resident in Britain. One of the addresses was in west London and the rest were in central London. Scotland Yard said: “One of the men aged 21 was Tasered during his arrest. He was not injured and did not require medical treatment.
Following a joint meeting between Scotland Yard counter terrorism command and MI5 at an executive liaison group, the decision was made to disrupt any plot. Counter terrorism investigators believed they had acquired enough material to stage arrests. The Met added that officers from the counter-terrorism command – SO15 – “were assisted in the execution of warrants at one of the addresses by officers from the specialist firearms command (SCO19). No shots were fired.
The Metropolitan police said: “One of the men aged 21 was Tasered during his arrest. He was not injured and did not require medical treatment. “A number of residential addresses and vehicles are being searched by specialist officers in west and central London as part of the investigation. The searches are ongoing. These arrests and searches are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist-related terrorism.”
“SO15 officers were assisted in the execution of warrants at one of the addresses by officers from the specialist firearms command (SCO19). No shots were fired. Surveillance led counter-terrorism officers to assess that one of the men may have access to weapons, hence the decision to send armed officers to one of the addresses. It was at that address that the Taser was used.
“A number of residential addresses and vehicles are being searched by specialist officers in west and central London as part of the investigation. The searches are ongoing. The raids followed a pre-planned operation, with at least some of the men having been subject to monitoring by counter-terrorism investigators for some time.
“These arrests and searches are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist-related terrorism.” Following a joint meeting between SO15 and MI5 at an executive liaison group, the decision was made to disrupt any plot. Counter-terrorism investigators believed they had enough material to stage arrests.
Some past high-profile terrorism arrests have been based on intelligence which has turned out to be false, and have led to accusations that police and MI5 have ramped up the nature of plots. The decision to disrupt a suspected plot is usually taken because it is believed there is too great a chance of an attack being staged or because investigators believe they have enough evidence to test their suspicions through the courts.
The fear of a terrorist attack being carried out by people with connections to Syria or Iraq led the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre to recommend raising the terrorist threat level in August to severe, its second-highest level. Announcing the decision, the home secretary, Theresa May, said it was “related to developments in Syria and Iraq, where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the west”. However, some past high-profile terror arrests have been based on intelligence that turned out to be inaccurate, and have led to accusations that police and MI5 have ramped up the nature of possible plots.
The fear of a terrorist attack being carried out by people with connections to Syria or Iraq led the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) to recommend raising the terrorist threat level in August to severe, its second highest level.
Announcing the decision to change the threat level the home secretary, Theresa May, said it was “related to developments in Syria and Iraq, where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the west”.
Counter-terror investigators in both the police and MI5 have been facing an increasing workload as they assess and investigate potential threats from people with connections to several hotspots around the world.
The threat from Isis extremists is the current main source of concern, but there remains anxiety about those with connections to alleged violent extremists in Syria and al-Qaida linked groups there, as well as al-Shabaab in Somalia, and also al-Qaida inspired terrorists with links to Pakistan.
The security services assess how dangerous terror suspects are, but in the two instances in the modern era which saw people murdered – the July 2005 attacks in London and last year’s attack on the soldier Lee Rigby – the violent jihadists responsible had slipped through the net.
After Tuesday’s arrests the terrorist threat level remained unchanged at severe. This means that JTAC, which is housed within MI5, has advised ministers that an attack is highly likely.