An alleged Iranian spy ring was smashed by British police yesterday.
Amid warnings that many more cells may be preparing ‘potentially violent operations’ in Britain, counter-terrorism officers arrested four men with Iranian and dual British-Iranian citizenship.
They were held on suspicion of spying on synagogues and prominent individuals in the Jewish community.
Detectives believe the gang carried out surveillance at various locations in north London for months at the behest of Iran’s intelligence services.
Jewish leaders last night warned of the ‘real threat’ to communities and urged security services not to underestimate the size of the problem.
On a day of drama in the Middle East:
- Donald Trump warned Iran that no deals were on the table;
- The US President demanded the country’s ‘unconditional surrender’;
- US Secretary of War Pete Hesgeth said missile attacks on Iran would ramp up dramatically and the ‘big one’ was coming;
- Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy suggested British RAF jets could now legitimately target Iran missiles sites;
- Oil prices soared as Qatar warned the war could ‘bring down the world’s economies’;
- Russia was accused of sharing intelligence to help Tehran attack allied warships and aircraft across the Middle East.
Scotland Yard began a ‘long-running’ investigation after the ‘malign’ activities of the suspected Iranian cell aroused suspicion and a member of the Jewish community tipped off police.
The Mail understands that the cell had been under surveillance for months, but officers decided to accelerate their arrest plans due to the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
Just hours earlier, Europol warned that the unfolding conflict in Iran will have ‘immediate repercussions’ with an increased threat of terrorism, violent extremism and cyber attacks in Europe.
The suspects have not been accused of any specific attack plot, but officers believe their actions were part of a longer-term plan by Tehran to target the Jewish community in London.
Counter-terrorism police arrested four men – aged 22, 40, 52 and 55 – at addresses in Harrow, Watford and Barnet shortly after 1am on Friday on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service.
The arrests just days after the US and Israel began a series of strikes against Iran comes amid concerns about the increasing risk of an Iranian terror attack on British soil.
MI5 has already warned of a heightened threat from Tehran after uncovering 20 assassination and kidnap plots in Britain in the past year.
In recent days, the Met Police has stepped up patrols around synagogues and Jewish areas, working with community leaders to ‘ensure vigilance and to keep communities safe’.
Dr Alan Mendoza, from the Henry Jackson Society, said: ‘Today’s counter-terrorism arrests highlight the real and persistent threat posed by hostile Iranian activity on British soil.
‘The Iranian regime has a long track record of using surveillance, intimidation and proxy networks here to pursue dissidents, Jewish communities and other targets.
‘The good news is that our security services are disrupting Iranian activity before it turns deadly. The bad news is how often they are having to do it.’
Rabbi Herschel Gluck, president of Shomrim North and East London, said the arrests would help reduce concerns in the community.
But he added: ‘We have been aware for a long time that the danger of an attack from these cells, which there are a number of in this country, would exponentially increase in the situation we are in at the moment.’
Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘People will be worried after today’s arrests, especially those in our Jewish community.
‘Our world-leading security services will not hesitate to protect you.’
Mr Lammy added: ‘Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terrorism globally, and sadly that is in effect in our own society as well.’
Yesterday, police were seen carrying out searches of a property in Watford where a 52-year-old man was arrested in front of his wife and teenage daughter.
One resident said the family were well dressed and had expensive cars, but they appeared reclusive.
Neighbour Tam Khan, 47, said: ‘I never spoke to them. They were very quiet, very shy. They always had their heads down.’
At a property in Finchley, police were seen examining the undercarriage of a vehicle. No weapons or explosives have been found.
Neighbour Anne Costello, 55, said she was woken at 1am by armed police battering down the door.
‘It was so loud it honestly felt like they were in the bedroom,’ she said. ‘It was terrifying.
‘I went outside and someone in black, holding a gun, emerged from the darkness and told me to get back inside my house.’
Six other men aged between 20 and 49 were arrested in Harrow on suspicion of assisting an offender. All ten men remained in custody last night.
Following the arrests, the Campaign Against Antisemitism hit out at the Government for its ‘failure to keep its promise’ to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
A spokesman said: ‘It is incredible that the Iranian threat, long recognised by British Jews and those paying attention, like the intelligence and security committee of Parliament, is still not being taken seriously by the Government.
‘The Government’s failure to keep its promise to proscribe the IRGC… has sent the message that support for the brutal Iranian regime and its Jew-hating and West-hating ideology is perfectly acceptable in Britain.’
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said: ‘Having dithered over taking action against Iran’s murderous regime and undermined our relationships with our allies, Keir Starmer must show he will put the national security of Britain first.’
