Anti-terror police swoop at Gatwick and arrest man, 26

Police working with French and Belgian authorities have made a series of arrests after the attacks in Brussels and Paris
Armed police at Gatwick airport FILE IMAGE
@sarmina9 /Twitter
Justin Davenport15 April 2016
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Police investigating terror threats to Britain in the aftermath of the Brussels and Paris atrocities have made five arrests.

Counter terror officers held a 26-year-old man at Gatwick Airport in the early hours today and seized four suspects in Birmingham.

The five people, including three men aged 26, 40 and 59 and a 29-year-old woman, were being questioned by West Midlands police today on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, who leads on counter-terrorism for the West Midlands, said: “This action forms part of an extensive investigation by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU), together with the wider counter-terrorism network, MI5 and international partners including Belgian and French authorities to address any associated threat to the UK following the attacks in Europe.

“The arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led. There was no risk to the public at any time and there is no information to suggest an attack in the UK was being planned.”

The raids came days after it was claimed that the Brussels bombers were preparing to carry out attacks in Britain.

Mohamed Abrini, the prime suspect in last month’s bombings in Belgium, is said to have visited Birmingham four months before playing a key role in the atrocities that left 31 people dead and hundreds injured.

There are reports that Abrini, suspected to be the “man in the hat”, the only surviving bomber from last month’s attack on Brussels airport, took photographs of a football stadium on his visit to the city.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the ringleader of the Paris attacks who was killed by police in November, is also said to have visited Birmingham last year.

The five suspects were being questioned by officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit.

Police said a number of properties were also being searched.

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