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UK Police Arrest Five in Terrorism Inquiry | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Media ID: 55349638
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Belgian police officers control the access to Belgian international airport of Zaventem airport more than a week after the attacks in Brussels metro and the airport, in Zaventem


LONDON, April 15 – According to the British police, five people were arrested on the ground of being suspected of preparing acts of terrorism. The arrest of the 5 individuals came as part of an investigation in which Belgian and French authorities were involved to address any threat to Britain after the Paris and Brussels attacks.

It was stated by the police that only on Thursday; three men and a woman had been arrested in Birmingham, central England, and yet another man was further held at London’s Gatwick Airport in the early hours of Friday.

Worth noting that these arrests were not random, but infact the arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led. Therefore no threat or risk was to be imposed on the public at any time. Adding further that are no official statements, details or information to suggest that there was being an attack planned in the UK, as said by Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale from West Midlands Police.

“This action forms part of an extensive investigation by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, together with the wider counter terrorism network, (domestic spy agency) MI5 and international partners including Belgian and French authorities to address any associated threat to the UK following the attacks in Europe.”

Nonetheless, as reported by British media a Belgian man who is suspected to be involved in last month’s ISIS attacks in Brussels had travelled to Birmingham last year and taken photos of a soccer stadium. Recalling that on March 22, two suicide bombers blew up suitcase bombs at Brussels airport before a third struck a metro train in the city and thirty-two people were killed.