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Five men held in West Midlands on suspicion of terrorism offences Five men held in West Midlands on suspicion of terrorism offences
(about 3 hours later)
Five men have been arrested in the West Midlands on suspicion of terrorism offences. A major counter-terrorism operation on Friday saw five men arrested and bomb disposal experts ordered in to a premises in Birmingham city centre which they spent several hours examining for any evidence of materials to stage an attack.
The men were detained by counter-terrorism officers on Friday in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent on suspicion of commissioning, preparing or instigating acts of terrorism, West Midlands police said. The men were arrested in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent as a result of an operation by the security service MI5 and police following suspicions of an Islamist terrorist plot. The group, aged 18- to 37-years-old, were arrested on suspicion of commissioning, preparing or instigating acts of terrorism.
Two men aged 32 and 37 were held in Stoke, and two others aged 18 and 24 were arrested at their homes in Birmingham. A 28-year-old man was detained in a different area of Birmingham. Two men aged 32 and 37 held in Stoke, Staffordshire, and two others aged 18 and 24 arrested at their homes in Birmingham. A 28-year-old man was detained in a different area of Birmingham.
After one of the arrests, an army bomb disposal team was called to the Lee Bank area of Birmingham as a precaution, police said. Armed officers were not involved. The location of the property being examined by the British army’s bomb disposal unit was minutes from the Bull Ring shopping centre in Birmingham city centre. It is known to have been visited last year by at least one member of the terror cell that attacked Paris and Brussels.
A spokesman for the force said: “Police are searching a number of properties in the Stoke and Birmingham areas as part of the investigation; these searches are ongoing. The arrests were intelligence-led and part of an ongoing investigation.There is no risk to the public at this stage.” During searches by bomb experts, guests in a nearby hotel were told to stay inside as a precaution.
The arrests are related to alleged Islamist terrorism activity.
The address the army bomb squad was called to is close to Birmingham’s city centre and prestige shopping and entertainment destinations such as the Bull Ring.
Locals said the bomb squad arrived just after 3pm, according the Birmingham Mail. Several hours later explosives experts were still at the scene, which remained cordoned off. A heavy police presence was visible.
Ash Sangha, a hotel worker at the Pentahotel in Holloway Head, said he had seen bomb squad experts in the street, and staff and guests had been warned by police to stay indoors for their own safety.Ash Sangha, a hotel worker at the Pentahotel in Holloway Head, said he had seen bomb squad experts in the street, and staff and guests had been warned by police to stay indoors for their own safety.
West Midlands fire service tweeted: “Fire crews have been supporting police colleagues with an ongoing operation in the Lea Bank area of #Birmingham.” Locals said the bomb squad arrived just after 3pm, according to the Birmingham Mail. Several hours later explosives experts – and a bomb robot – were still at the scene, which remained cordoned off.
It was not clear whether the deployment of firefighters, who are also skilled in handling hazardous materials, was because something had been found in the address that merited concern, or whether it was merely a precaution. West Midlands fire service were put on standby and tweeted: “Fire crews have been supporting police colleagues with an ongoing operation in the Lea Bank area of #Birmingham.”
Pictures of Birmingham landmarks including the Bull Ring were found on a phone belonging to one of the terror cell behind attacks in Paris and Belgium. Intelligence experts were divided about whether those pictures were evidence of reconnaissance or of something more innocent. A spokesperson for the West Midlands counter terrorism unit said: “Police are searching a number of properties in the Stoke and Birmingham areas as part of the investigation; these searches are ongoing. There is no risk to the public at this stage.”
Since August 2014 Britain has been at its second highest stage of terrorist alert – severe – meaning an attack by those following the violent Islamist ideology is highly likely.
However a number of arrests based on intelligence of suspicion of planning jihadi violence in Britain have led to suspects not being charged, and claims intelligence was flawed.
Friday’s arrests followed a joint meeting between police and MI5. Such a decision is reached if they believe they probably have sufficient evidence to go to court or they believe they can no longer let the people they suspect remain free.
Few details were given about the arrests and the reasons behind them. Police said: “The arrests were intelligence-led and part of an ongoing investigation.”
It is known that last year at least one member of the terrorist cell that attacked staged gun and bomb attacks in Paris visited Birmingham.
The attack on Paris in November 2015 was led by Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a top Islamic State commander, who died after the atrocity in a shootout with French forces.
Found in his possession after his death was a phone, on which were pictures of visits to Birmingham and London months before the carnage in the French capital.
It is unclear whether Abaaoud, or another cell member Mohammed Abrini, or both, visited Birmingham last year before the Paris attack.
In February, West Midlands chief constable Dave Thompson told the Guardian that his force were conducting a number of inquiries, involving international partners, into the visit to Birmingham by one of the European-based cell.
Thompson declined to discuss details and said counter-terrorism officials were alert to the dangers of “hostile reconnaissance” by terrorists before an attack.