The Met Police remain at a crime scene in Swindon after a suspected terrorist was arrested in the town centre on Saturday afternoon (3 May).
In a dramatic fashion, plain-clothed officers from the Counter Terrorism Command (CTC) pounced on a man in Havlock Street as dozens of shoppers watched on.
The suspect, now known to be an Iranian national who police believe was involved in the planning of an ‘imminent’ terrorist attack in the UK, was searched on the ground.
The man’s hands and arms were placed into plastic in a bid to protect any evidence which may have been on them, and then he was dragged away.
Two officers wearing protective white suits then attended, and took swabs of the area.
At the same time, the CTC raided a property – thought to be a shared house – in Manchester Road, where the suspect was understood to be living.
Searches of the building remain ongoing this afternoon (Monday), with Wiltshire Police officers protecting the crime scene. Two large tents have been erected in the garden of the house.
Specific details have not been shared publicly, but The Telegraph is reporting that a terrorist attack was stopped just hours before it was due to take place – and would have targeted the Jewish community.
The newspaper is also reporting that one of the suspects in custody has “close connections to the regime in Tehran”.
The Met Police arrested a total of five Iranian men across the UK on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, and four of those suspects – including the 29-year-old man from Swindon – remain in custody. A fifth man was released on bail.
Warrants of further detention were secured today – which means the four detainees can be questioned until 10 May.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s CTC, said: “Our officers and staff are progressing what is a significant and highly complex investigation, and we still have searches and activity underway at multiple addresses across the country.
“We are working incredibly hard, with public safety at the forefront of our ongoing efforts.
“We believe that a specific premises was the target of this suspected plot and Counter Terrorism Policing officers remain in close contact with the affected premises.
“At this time, we will not be providing further information about the suspected target for reasons of operational security and public safety.”
Commander Murphy added: “I would like to ask people to support my officers in this and not to speculate or share information that has not been confirmed by Counter Terrorism Policing. We have clear and critical reasons not to provide more detail at this time.
“The investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter.
“As always, I would ask the public to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us.
“We are working closely with local officers in the areas where we made arrests on Saturday and I’d like to thank police colleagues around the country for their ongoing support.”
