Three men arrested over possible new terrorism plot

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Searches continuing after two arrested in Newham and one in Waltham Forest in raids unconnected to London Bridge attack

Police at the scene this morning in Waltham Forest.
Police at the scene this morning in Waltham Forest. Photograph: Damien Gayle/The Guardian

Counter-terrorism police have arrested three men in London on election day as they investigate a possible plot to launch a terrorist attack in Britain.

Armed officers supported the raids in east London, close to where officers have been following leads in their investigation into the London Bridge attack. The potential plot was not believed to be linked to the rampage in which terrorists killed eight people on Saturday night.

The arrests followed a joint operation by ther Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism command and the domestic security service, MI5. It is believed to have involved surveillance oof suspects who allegedly produced material that raised concerns among counter-terrorism investigators.

There have been three terrorist attacks in Britain in three months, and five suspected plots thwarted, putting investigators under increased pressure.

Two men, aged 34 and 37, were held at separate addresses in Newham, while a third man, aged 33, was arrested at an address in Waltham Forest.

At one raided address, a shattered door frame could be seen where police had burst in and neighbours told of being woken by a series of bangs, believed to have happened when police gained entry.

All three men were detained on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism offences and taken for questioning at a south London police station. That form of detention is typically used by police to make arrests when intelligence suggests a potential attack is being planned. That intelligence can be wrong or the evidence needed to prove it to the standard required by the courts may not be able to be found.

In Britain’s counter-terrorism system, MI5 generates and assesses the intelligence, while police search for evidence for any court case and make the arrests.

The east London operation took place overnight and searches were continuing at the properties during the day, police said.

Neighbours described being woken by the sound of banging at about 4.45am. “I was alarmed obviously,” one said. “I came outside to see what was happening. I saw some officers with guns and then I phoned the police just to ensure they were actually officers, because they were in combats.”

Initially officers had their faces uncovered “but then two of them put masks on”, he said.

Another neighbour, whose home faces the raided address, said she saw a team of “swat team-type people” gathered nearby after the raid had begun. “They were just getting ready,” she said. “They didn’t seem too distressed, as in they didn’t tell us to put our heads back in the windows.”

The UK threat level for Islamist terrorism is severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.

Investigators do not suspect any possible attack plot was linked to it being election day and the timing of the arrests was coincidental.

The usual thresholds for arrests in counter-terrorism investigations is when enough evidence is believed to have been gathered to secure prosecutions or when it is believed too risky to allow suspects to continue freely, because of concerns about their activities.