UK arrests 5 over Paris, Brussels attacks

British police have arrested four men and a woman in Birmingham and London as part of their investigation into the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels.

Parisattacks

Sydney Swans AFL player Adam Goodes takes part in a training session in Sydney, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015. (AAP Image/Paul Miller) NO ARCHIVING Source: Getty Images

British police have arrested five people on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism as part of an investigation which a security source said was linked to the attacks in Paris and Brussels.

Three men and a woman were detained in Birmingham, central England, on Thursday and another man was held at London's Gatwick Airport in the early hours of Friday.

Chief Constable Marcus Beale from West Midlands Police said there was no information to suggest an attack in Britain was being planned.

He added in a statement: "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."

Police declined to give any further details but a security source confirmed the arrests were linked to the suicide bombings in Brussels which killed 32 people last month and November's attacks in Paris which left 130 people dead.

The four men, aged 40, 59 and two aged 26, and the 29-year-old woman are now being questioned by counter-terrorism detectives and police are searching several properties in Birmingham.

British media have reported that Belgian Mohamed Abrini, suspected of involvement in the Islamic State attacks in Brussels, had travelled to Birmingham last year and taken photos of a soccer stadium.

Abrini, who investigators say has confessed to depositing a bomb at Brussels airport, is also wanted in connection with the Paris attacks.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected planner of the Paris attacks who was killed by French police late last year, is also reported by British newspapers to have visited Birmingham last October and had photographs of places in the city on his smartphone.

Asked about Abaaoud in parliament last month, Home Secretary Theresa May said: "This is obviously an ongoing investigation, and we are working very closely with the Belgian authorities to ascertain as much information as possible about the individuals involved."


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world