Two more arrests for conspiracy to commit arson

Two more arrests have been made by Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) officers investigating an alleged conspiracy to commit arson at a venue related to the Jewish community.

A total of nine people have now been arrested during the past three days as part of a proactive investigation.

Those arrested are suspected of being involved in planning an arson attack at an unknown venue related to the Jewish community.

The latest two arrests include [H] a 19-year-old man and [I] a 26-year-old man arrested in Watford on Tuesday, 21 April. They were both taken into custody, where they remain.

Seven other people previously arrested for conspiracy to commit arson remain under investigation and have been released on bail, with strict conditions.

They include:

- Three men - [A] aged 24, [B] aged 25 and [C] aged 26 - arrested in Harpenden shortly after 21.00hrs on 19 April.

- [D] A 25-year-old man arrested in Stevenage on 20 April.

- [E] A 26-year-old man, and two women, [F] aged 50 and [G] 59, arrested in a car near Birmingham on 20 April.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the Senior National Co-ordinator of Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “Our investigations continue at pace, and we are continuing to identify and arrest suspects who we believe were involved, or planning, the recent arson attacks in north west London.

“We’ve now had the first conviction in relation to this recent spate of arson attacks and seven others have been charged. We remain determined to identify, arrest and charge all those who have been involved in the recent criminal activity.

“My message to anyone even considering getting involved in this type of activity is this, the stakes are high and it is absolutely not worth the risk.”

CTP officers continue to work closely with Met Police colleagues in response to the various arson incidents, which includes specialist officers providing protective security advice and support to a large number of organisations, community venues and businesses.

'In north west London, communities can expect to see an increased presence of uniformed and plain clothed officers, which is being maintained following the incidents from last week. This includes presence outside Jewish places of worship, businesses and other key community locations to identify any potential attackers and provide reassurance.

Armed response vehicles and Counter Terrorism Policing resources continue to be deployed to the area to support the increased local policing plan, which is making use of a full range of policing powers to keep our communities safe. Police motorbikes and specialist interceptors are also proactively patrolling to detect and deter any use of the road network by criminals.'

Kensington Gardens Incident

An investigation into an incident in Kensington Gardens last week is also ongoing, and 39-year-old man who was arrested on 21 April at an address in Ealing under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 remains in custody.

A warrant of further detention has been obtained, which means he can be kept in custody until Tuesday 28 April.

He was arrested as part of a CTP London investigation following the discovery of jars of a non-hazardous substance in Kensington Gardens on Friday, 17 April.

Since the attack on the Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green on 23 March, CTP officers have now arrested a total of 25 people. Eight people have been charged with arson-related offences and one person has been convicted of arson.