Unlock the Editor’s Digest free of charge
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favorite tales on this weekly publication.
British counterterrorism officers have arrested eight males, together with seven Iranian nationals, in relation to 2 separate alleged plots, London’s Metropolitan Police mentioned on Sunday morning.
One of many alleged plots was a deliberate assault on an unspecified location, police mentioned.
Yvette Cooper, dwelling secretary, mentioned the arrests have been “severe occasions that exhibit the continued requirement to adapt our response to nationwide safety threats”.
She added: “The federal government continues to work with police and intelligence businesses to assist all of the motion and safety assessments which are wanted to maintain the nation secure.”
5 of the lads have been detained throughout England on Saturday on suspicion of getting ready a terrorist act towards a “particular premise”, the Metropolitan police mentioned.
4 of these people have been Iranian residents whereas the nationality of the fifth was nonetheless being established, the Met mentioned.
In one other counterterrorism operation on the identical day, an additional three Iranian nationals have been arrested in London, the Met mentioned in a separate assertion.
The top of Britain’s MI5 home safety service, Ken McCallum, mentioned in October that his brokers and police had tackled 20 “doubtlessly deadly” plots backed by Iran since 2022, most aimed toward dissident Iranians residing in Britain.
The spy chief mentioned on the time that MI5 had seen Iran launch “plot after plot . . . at an unprecedented scale”.
The Met mentioned that the primary operation concerned 5 arrests in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale and Manchester with assist from officers from Counter Terrorism Policing, Higher Manchester Police and Wiltshire Police.
“As a part of the investigation, officers are additionally finishing up searches at a lot of addresses within the Higher Manchester, London and Swindon areas in reference to this investigation,” it mentioned.
The Met mentioned law enforcement officials had been in touch with the “affected web site” to supply related recommendation and assist.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, urged the general public to “stay vigilant” and cross on any related info they may have seen or heard.
“It is a fast-moving investigation and we’re working carefully with these on the affected web site to maintain them up to date,” he mentioned.
“The investigation continues to be in its early levels and we’re exploring numerous traces of enquiry to determine any potential motivation in addition to to determine whether or not there could also be any additional danger to the general public linked to this matter.”
Within the second operation, the Met mentioned searches have been ongoing on the three addresses. The Met mentioned this investigation was unrelated to the arrests of the 5 males.
The police didn’t disclose particulars of the suspected plot, citing operational causes.
