Eight people were arrested under Britain’s anti-terrorist laws on Tuesday in police raids in and around London. The raids also netted half a tonne of a fertiliser that could be used to make a bomb.
The eight men were ”all British citizens” held under the Terrorism Act 2000 for suspected involvement in planning a terrorist attack, said Peter Clarke, head of the Metropolitan Police anti-terrorist branch.
He said the raids were not linked to the March 11 blasts in Madrid that killed 191 people, the worst terror attacks in Europe since the 1988 bombing of an airline over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Clarke also said the raids netted a half-tonne of ammonium nitrate fertiliser — the same material used to make the bombs that killed 202 people in a nightclub district in Bali, Indonesia, in October 2002.
”There is no risk to the public,” he told reporters.
London has been on guard against a potential attack since the Madrid train bombings, which prompted Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens to warn of the ”inevitability” of a terrorist strike on the British capital.
Home Secretary David Blunkett said: ”While it is for the appropriate authorities to decide what action is taken against those individuals arrested today [Tuesday], the fact that such action was felt necessary is a timely reminder that the United Kingdom and its interests abroad remain a target.”
”We have always been clear with the people in the UK that we face a real and serious threat and have never disguised the fact that this threat could manifest itself in any number of ways.”
Clarke said a total of 24 homes and businesses were targeted in Tuesday’s raids, which began at 6am local time.
Some of the raids took place in communities in the general vicinity of three London airports — Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.
The fertiliser — which can be explosive when combined with other chemicals — was seized at an address in Hanwell, west London.
Clarke did not confirm news reports that the arrested included ”Islamic terrorist suspects”.
But he stated: ”We know the overwhelming majority of the Muslim community are law-abiding and completely reject all forms of violence.
”Today at both local and national levels we have been holding discussions with community leaders and other representatives to address any concerns they may have,” he said.
A spokesperson for Gatwick airport, London’s second-biggest international airport after Heathrow, said it was unaware of any police operation.
”We work closely with Sussex police and they have not informed us of any raids,” the spokesperson said. ”As far as we are aware they did not take place here.”
A Surrey police spokesperson added she was unable to confirm at this stage whether a further address inside its jurisdiction had been raided.
Luton airport, northwest of London, is used mainly by budget and charter airlines.
The Metropolitan Police is responsible for day-to-day law enforcement in the greater London area, as well as for anti-terrorist investigations throughout Britain.
Stevens said: ”Today’s operation was possible because of the close working relationships betwen the Met’s anti-terrorist branch, the security services and our neighbouring police forces.
”Together, they are working harder than ever before to keep our country safe from the threat of terrorism and to provide reassurance to local communities.” — Sapa-AFP