Unusually high level of anxiety remains within counter-terrorism circles about extent of plotting, despite arrests.
Criminal charges will be brought within days over a terrorism plot that police disrupted this week by arresting 12 men, the government’s reviewer of counter-terrorism powers said today.
The plot was “significant”, said to Lord Carlile of Berriew, who added that police were continuing their searches yesterday in east London, Cardiff, Stoke and Birmingham, where the men were arrested on Monday.
However, the police searches are yet to yield any hazardous materials or clear evidence of explosive devices, but Lord Carlile, in a rare move, declared it was “very possible that people may well be charged” over the next few days.
The 12 suspects were between 17 and 28 and had been under surveillance, Lord Carlile told MPs on the home affairs select committee.
Surveillance officers saw suspects allegedly carrying out reconnaissance on shopping areas and night spots in the West Midlands and on Whitehall in London, the site of many government buildings and close to the Houses of Parliament.
Despite the arrests there remains a continued and unusually high level of anxiety within counter-terrorism circles about the extent of plotting that has been detected by alleged terrorists wanting to attack the United Kingdom. One source said: “There is a lot of anxiety about. It is no time to relax. The whole of Europe is edgy at the moment.”
Lord Carlile said that he had been out with undercover officers and witnessed some of the surveillance operations. “The briefing I have had shows there to be allegations of a significant plot in the cities mentioned. The gestation period for the arrests has been long. I was aware of an operation some time ago which led to these arrests.
“On one occasion I was able to observe, literally observe, some of it occurring.
“I believe that it is very possible that people may well be charged and prosecuted. I happen to know the Crown Prosecution Service has been involved … for some time in this operation and I would expect significant activity over the next few days.”
Lord Carlile’s remarks do raise expectations and increase the pressure on police and the security service. An inability to bring terrorism charges would be an embarrassment: Monday’s raid was the largest against terrorism suspects since the raids in 2009 by armed officers in Liverpool and Manchester, when all those arrested were released within days and no charges.
Lady Neville-Jones, the security minister and former chairwoman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, told the home affairs select committee that the threat to the UK from al-Qaida terrorism was “indefinite” and that the arrests made on Monday were “important”.
However, she added: “And of course this country also faces a threat from Irish terrorists as well. Those arrested included people from a Bangladeshi background, who up until now have rarely been accused of terrorist plotting against the UK. Neville-Jones said: “I can’t immediately think of a case that has involved a Bangladeshi previously, but sadly I think terrorism comes from all sorts of stripes.”
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
