A MAN HAS been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences during a police investigation into Northern Ireland-related terrorism.
The UK’s Met Police said that a 30-year-old man has been arrested in Somerset on suspicion of terrorism offences. Searches are now taking place in Northern Ireland and Devon as a result of the inquiry.
The man, who is a serving member of the British armed forces, has been taken to a West Country police station.
He was arrested at 12.20pm today by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command (SO15), supported by colleagues from Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall Police, on suspicion of being involved in the preparation for acts of terrorism under section 5 of the Terrorism Act.
Today’s arrest was pre-planned and intelligence-led as part of an investigation into Northern Ireland-related terrorism being led by SO15 in collaboration with Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the South West Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit.
No armed police were involved in today’s arrest.
“The public can be reassured that there is no intelligence to suggest an immediate threat to our communities,” said the police statement.
Searches are being conducted under the UK’s Terrorism Act at an address in south Devon.
Further searches are taking place in a wooded area in south Devon, which has been cordoned off, and by PSNI in Northern Ireland in connection with this inquiry.
The threat to Great Britain from Northern Ireland-related terrorism is “substantial”, while the threat within Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism is “severe”, said police.
The Met police said they are working closely alongside security services “in response to the threat from terrorism”.
They asked the public to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to the UK’s Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.
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