Three men have been arrested in central London in connection with possible terrorist activities. Scotland Yard made the announcement about the arrests on Monday in connection with the “commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism” of the three, aged 24, 21 and 25 and identified as F, G and H. The men are being held in custody.
The developments follow the arrests last week of five men by counter-terrorism detectives over a potential plot to attack Britain. They included a 21-year-old medical student who studied in Sudan and dispensed online advice about Islam and marriage.
The five have been held in custody after a magistrates court granted a warrant of further detention last Wednesday. Under the Terrorism Act, suspects can be held without charge for up to 14 days.
Two of the five, identified as B and D, were released on Monday, police said. The remaining three suspects, called A, C and E, remain in custody at a central London police station.
A search of a business address in west London also took place on Monday and officers were searching a further four residential properties in northwest London.
One of those arrested last week in a raid on an address in west London was Tarik Hassane, a medical student. Counter-terrorism officers have interviewed Hassane and the four other men and examined items seized from their homes, including computer equipment. Police have not revealed whether Hassane was one of the two men released on Monday night.
One of the five arrested last week was suspected of having links to Islamic State (Isis). Police believe the plot they allegedly disrupted was “significant”, with one suspect being arrested because of the fear he may have access to weapons.
However, some past high-profile terror arrests have been based on inaccurate intelligence and have sparked accusations that police and MI5 have escalated the nature of possible plots.
