TEHRAN – Two men suspected of being involved in terrorism were arrested by police in raids in London and Birmingham on Tuesday afternoon. A 20-year-old man was arrested by armed officers in north London at about 2.50pm, while a 21-year-old man was detained in south-east Birmingham at about 4.30pm, The Guardian reported. They were detained […]
TEHRAN – Two men suspected of being involved in terrorism were arrested by police in raids in London and Birmingham on Tuesday afternoon.
A 20-year-old man was arrested by armed officers in north London at about 2.50pm, while a 21-year-old man was detained in south-east Birmingham at about 4.30pm, The Guardian reported.
They were detained on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism, contrary to section 40 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Officers from the Met police counter-terrorism command carried out the raids, supported by officers from the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit and the Met’s firearms command. Both men were being held in custody under the Terrorism Act at a police station in south-east London.
Searches at addresses in south-east Birmingham and north London were being carried out on Tuesday night.
The raids come as the number of people arrested for terrorism-linked offences rose by more than two-thirds to a record 379 in the 12 months to June – one of the most intense periods for terrorist attacks in recent history.
The figures were released by the Home Office, which said it was the highest number of terrorist arrests in a year since records began in 2001.
They included 12 arrests linked to the Westminster attack in March, 23 connected with the Manchester Arena bombing in May, 21 arrests following the London Bridge attack in June and one in relation to the Finsbury Park van attack soon after.
Of those arrested, 123 were charged – 105 with terrorism offences – and 189 were released without charge. The remaining 67 were either bailed pending further investigation, or faced alternative action.
