UK’s police arrest eight in major terrorism crackdown, including seven Iranians

UK’s Metropolitan Police has announced that eight individuals, including seven Iranian nationals, have been arrested in the UK as part of two separate terrorism investigations. 

In the first case, five people, four of whom are Iranian citizens, were detained by Scotland Yard’s counterterrorism unit on suspicion of conspiring to carry out an attack on a specific location, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

While the name of the location is being withheld for security reasons, authorities have informed individuals connected to the site about the suspects' plans. Investigators carried out searches across several locations in London, Manchester, and Swindon.

The arrested men, aged between 29 and 46, were detained in London, Swindon, and the Greater Manchester area, including Stockport and Rochdale. The nationality of the fifth arrested individual is yet to be confirmed. In a second investigation, three more Iranian nationals, aged between 39 and 55, were arrested in London on May 3. 

The arrests were made under Section 27 of the National Security Act 2023, which grants authorities the power to detain individuals suspected of being involved in activities threatening national security on behalf of a foreign state. 

These individuals are currently under custody. Both operations were carried out under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, which addresses the preparation for acts of terrorism. The police have stated that there is no connection between the two investigations.

By Naila Huseynova