Men are being questioned at a London police station on suspicion of being involved in commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Detectives have arrested four men on suspicion that they may have committed offences under terrorism laws.



The arrests were made in Luton, Bedfordshire, and come at a time of heightened alert in Britain over fears of jihadi activity, such as attack planning and recruitment.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “Four men have been arrested in Luton this morning (Wednesday 2 December) on suspicion of committing offences under the Terrorism Act.



“The arrests were carried out in a joint operation by the Met’s counter terrorism command (SO15) and the eastern counter terrorism and intelligence unit (ECTIU).

“The men – who are all in their 30s – have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. They have been taken into custody at a London police station.”

The operation that led to the arrests followed a “proactive” investigation by police and assistance from the security services. The arrests were pre-planned.

The raids followed a joint meeting between police and MI5, the domestic security service, at an executive liaison group. The decision to detain suspects can be made when counter-terrorism investigators believe they have enough material to stage arrests.

But some past high-profile terror arrests have been based on intelligence that turned out to be inaccurate, and have led to accusations that police and MI5 have ramped up the nature of possible plots.

After Wednesday’s arrest, police were carrying out searches at seven separate addresses in Luton. They said that a number of vehicles were also being searched. It is expected that computers and other devices such as phones will also be examined.

Police added: “Today’s activity is part of an ongoing proactive investigation concerning individuals in the Luton area. It is not connected to the recent attacks in Paris.”

The four men were due to be questioned at a London police station.



The fear of a terrorist attack being carried out by people with connections to Islamic State or inspired by Isis ideology led the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) to recommend raising the terrorist threat level in August 2014 to severe, its second highest level.



The attacks in Paris last month which left 130 dead have increased anxiety among UK officials of an attack on British soil.











