The five men arrested by anti terrorism police on Saturday could have been just hours away from a terror attack say reports this morning
Three of the men were arrested in the Greater Manchester area, a 29-year-old man in the Stockport area, a 40-year-old man was arrested in the Rochdale area and another man was arrested in the Manchester area
All five men were arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act (TACT), 2006. Four men are Iranian nationals and were detained under TACT.
In a statement on Sunday night, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said: “These were two major operations that reflect some of the biggest counter-state threats and counter terrorism operations that we have seen in recent years.”
Asked about possible links to the Iranian state, she said: “These are major operations that have taken place and the ongoing investigation is immensely important, and of course it involves Iranian nationals in both investigations and we are supporting the police and the security agencies in the investigations that they are taking and the security assessments that they are doing.”
