Houses searched in terror probe
People told of their shock as neighbouring houses were searched by specialist officers conducting a counter-terrorism operation. The searches of five houses in Burnley, Lancashire followed the arrests of nine men who were stopped by police on Friday night on the M65 near Preston as part of an ongoing intelligence-led investigation.
Six of the men were later released without charge, while three men, aged 26, 29 and 36, remained in custody.
The operation is led by Lancashire Constabulary and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit and is not thought to involve an imminent domestic threat. Police confirmed that three vehicles also seized had been making their way to London to join a Gaza aid convoy.
A Lancashire Constabulary spokeswoman said: "The cargo from these vehicles is now being thoroughly checked by search officers who are working as quickly as they can to ensure that the parcels can be released and continue on to their destination."
Photographs taken at the scene of the motorway incident showed two vans surrounded by police vehicles. One van bears an image of the Palestinian flag on its side while the other has signs saying Stop Killing Children Free Palestine, and From Blackburn (UK) to Gaza.
A spokesman for Viva Palestina, the group organising the convoy, said: "We are concerned about the arrests, but until such time as things become clearer it's very difficult to say more. The police haven't been in touch with us about it and we don't have any personal knowledge of the people involved."
Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5glsTKjOH5pOPwH0lced3Z-7BpPUQ
Two vans were pulled over on the motorway as part of an intelligence-led operation linked to a potential threat of terrorism overseas, police said.
ReplyDeleteThe vehicles, one an old ambulance, bore an image of the Palestinian flag and signs saying "Stop Killing Children, Free Palestine" and "From Blackburn (UK) to Gaza".
With medical supplies and clothes on board, it is believed the men were planning to drive to London and then on to the Gaza Strip.
But counter-terrorism officers surrounded them near Preston, just over 20-miles into their journey.
Five properties in Burnley were then raided by police who removed a computer from one of the houses.
Six of the arrested men have been released, while three men, aged 26, 29 and 36, remain in custody but have not been charged.
Sky News correspondent Tom Parmenter said: "These nine-men were part of a community effort to help send aid from the Lancashire town to the Gaza strip.
"This is quite an ethnically mixed area and there is quite a degree of surprise among the people who live here.
"They say these people were just trying to help - going over to Gaza to try and do what they could to help the people there who find themselves in a very difficult situation.
"All three in custody are from the Burnley area and we also understand locally that they had recently converted to Islam," Parmenter said.
Lancashire police said this is a sensitive time for all its communites but stressed the raids could take some time.
"We will endeavour to carry out any searches as quickly as possible to minimise the impact on the area concerned."
"However, enquiries of this nature are complex and may take time to resolve," Chief Superintendent Neil Smith said. Residents have received a note through their letterboxes from Lancashire Constabulary informing them the addresses are being searched.
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ReplyDeleteYou can find the BBC report on the arrest of the volunteers via this link:
ReplyDeletehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7890550.stm