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Two men arrested in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts Two men arrested in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts
(about 3 hours later)
Two young men have been arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism, as police investigate fears of an Islamist-inspired plot to launch an attack in the UK. Police believe they have stopped a jihadi-inspired plot to launch an attack in Britain after they arrested two men allegedly involved in preparing an act of terrorism.
A 19-year-old was detained on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts and a 20-year-old was arrested on suspicion of funding terrorism and failure to disclose information regarding an act of terrorism, Scotland Yard said. The two men, aged 19 and 20, were arrested at an address in west London on Thursday morning as part of a joint operation by police and MI5.
The older man was also held on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism as part of a separate investigation by the south-east counter-terrorism unit. Scotland Yard said the 19-year-old was detained on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism, and the 20-year-old was held on suspicion of funding terrorism and failing to disclose information regarding a planned act of terrorism.
It is understood the alleged plot is suspected to be linked to Islamic extremism, but police refused to give further details. The older man was also held on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism under a separate investigation by the south-east counter-terrorism unit.
The suspects, both from London, are in custody following a planned raid on an address in west London on Thursday by the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism command and the south-east counter-terrorism unit. A third man, 19, was detained in south-east London on suspicion of a religiously aggravated offence, which officials described as being “in relation to a separate matter”.
Another 19-year-old man was arrested in south-east London on suspicion of a religiously aggravated offence in a separate matter and remains in custody, police said. Police said searches of addresses and vehicles were being carried in the Thames Valley area as well as in west and south-east London.
Officers searched addresses and vehicles in west and south-east London and the Thames Valley area following the arrests. It is the second time in a fortnight that counter-terrorism officials apparently have disrupted a suspected plot to launch a domestic terror attack. In a separate operation, on 26 August explosive materials were found in a raid on a property in Birmingham. Five people were arrested in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent.
The government has previously claimed that seven plots linked to Islamist terrorists have been foiled in Britain since 2014. Since August of that year Britain has been at its second highest level of terror alert – severe – meaning an attack is highly likely.