UK charges three under terror law

Three men arrested in last week’s police raids in United Kingdom have been charged with “terrorist offences.”

Nine suspects were arrested in raids last week

London’s Metropolitan Police on Thursday said two other men who had been arrested in the sweep were released on bail pending further inquiries.

More than 700 police officers were involved in the raids which also resulted in the seizure of half a tonne of fertiliser that officers said could be used to create explosives.

Crackdown

Nine men, all of them British citizens, were arrested in London and its surrounding areas. One, aged 17, was charged on Tuesday with an explosives offence. Another was released on bail on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Anthony Garcia, 21, Umar Khyam, 22, and Nabil Husayn, 18, were charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 with possession of an article for purposes of terrorism.

The three were charged with possession of 600kgs of ammonium nitrate fertiliser, which they were alleged to have kept at a self-storage warehouse in Hanwell, west London.

They are accused of possessing the fertiliser “in circumstances which gave rise to reasonable suspicion that … possession was for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.”

Human rights organisations and Muslim advocacy groups have ciriticised British terror laws as draconian. Hundreds of people, mostly Muslims, have been arrested under the legislation only, for most, to be later released without charge.

Source: News Agencies