Seven more arrested after arson attacks on London Jewish sites | UK news
Seven more people were arrested following a series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London.
Metropolitan police said the suspects were arrested in the last 48 hours for an alleged plot to carry out a new arson attack, although the exact target was not yet known.
Since the end of March there have been arson attacks on Jewish community ambulances, two synagogues and a former Jewish charity in Golders Green, as well as an incident in which a drone flew near the Israeli embassy.
The Met said three men, aged 24, 25 and 26, were arrested in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, on Sunday. They were later released on bail.
A 25-year-old man was arrested in Stevenage on Monday and a 26-year-old man and two women, aged 50 and 59, were also arrested in a car near Birmingham. These four people remained in custody.
Another arrest was made in connection with the embassy incident in Kensington Gardens, where a drone carrying jars that were later found to contain non-hazardous substances flew.
A 39-year-old man was held in Ealing, west London, under section 41 of the Terrorism Act; This provision allows the suspect to be arrested without a warrant if he is suspected of being a terrorist.
A total of 23 people were arrested in connection with a series of attacks on Jewish sites.
Deputy assistant commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said: “We have made clear that we will be relentless in pursuing anyone involved in carrying out or planning these arson attacks. “Our message is clear: we will not tolerate this intimidation of our communities and will pursue those responsible.
“One of the main lines of our investigation is whether criminal proxies were used to carry out these arson attacks on individuals who were paid to commit crimes. While our investigations into this matter are still ongoing, my message to anyone considering getting involved in this type of activity is that the risks are high and simply not worth the risk.”
“Once we identify you, we will seek to prosecute you. This will include considering crimes under the National Security Act, which carry significant penalties and life restrictions. We will not rest until we hold fully accountable all those responsible for these actions.”
He added that resources from the counter-terrorism police unit had been deployed to north-west London to support the Met police operation to help deter further attacks and reassure Jewish houses of worship and businesses.
“I want to thank our communities for their support as we investigate these crimes and I urge the public to be alert to anything that doesn’t feel right and report it to us,” Evans said.
