London police arrest two over suspected links to Iranian intelligence

Two people have been arrested in London on suspicion of assisting an Iranian intelligence service, the Metropolitan Police said, Sky News reports.

A 42-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were detained at separate addresses in London by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London as part of an investigation into suspected offences under the National Security Act (NSA) 2023.

The arrests follow searches of properties in north-west London on June 24, while a third property in the area was searched on September 9.

Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of an offence under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, relating to assisting a foreign intelligence service.

The two were taken to a London police station and subsequently released on bail under strict conditions until a date in late October.

Police stressed that the investigation is not connected to incidents or attacks earlier this year targeting various venues and buildings linked to Jewish and Iranian communities across London.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: "We know that news of these arrests will come as a concern to some members of the public, but I want to stress that we do not believe there to be any imminent threat to the wider public in connection with this matter.

"We've seen a marked increase in the tempo of our work linked to national security and state threats over the past year and this investigation is a continuation of that.

"As we've shown here, if we suspect any activity could threaten the safety of the UK or the public, then we will not hesitate to take action."

She added: "I would also like to remind the public that the overall terrorism threat level is at severe, so we continue to ask for everyone's support through being vigilant, and if you see or hear anything that doesn't look right, then please, trust your instincts, and report it to us."

By Vafa Guliyeva