Eight arrested by counter-terror police over London arson attacks

Counter-terrorism police have arrested eight more people after a spate of arson attacks targeting the Jewish community in London over the last month. 

Seven of the arrests, which took place over the last 48 hours, are said to have been part of a ‘proactive investigation’ into an alleged plot against a venue ‘related to the Jewish community’.

The intended venue or target has not however been revealed by police. 

The arrests came as Met Police continues to look into whether Iranian-linked criminal proxies – people being paid money to carry out a crime – were being used to commit the attacks.

Those considering becoming involved were also starkly warned by police that ‘the stakes are high and it is absolutely not worth the risk.’

Three men aged 24, 25 and 26 were arrested in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, on Sunday, shortly after 9pm.  They were taken into custody before being released on bail.

This followed the arrest of a 25-year-old man on Monday, April 20, in Stevenage. 

A 26-year-old man, and two women, aged 50 and 59, were also arrested in a car near Birmingham. They have all been taken to a London police station where they currently remain in custody.

This morning, a 39-year-old man was arrested at an address in Ealing after jars of a non-hazardous substance were discovered in Kensington Gardens on Friday, April 17. He was detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and taken into custody. 

Police said that a search is ongoing at a premises in East London as part of this investigation.

Counter-terrorism police have arrested eight more people after a spate of arson attacks targeting the Jewish community in London over the last month. Pictured: A cordon set up outside Kenton synagogue after a ‘firebomb’ attack on Sunday

The latest arrests come after an arson attack on volunteer-led Jewish community ambulances were set alight in Golders Green

So far, 23 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents.

Since late March there have been arson attacks on Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, two synagogues in north-west London and the former premises of a Jewish charity.

Pro-Iranian group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia – the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right – has claimed responsibility for the attacks, releasing video footage of the perpetrators shortly after each incident has taken place.

Earlier on Tuesday, Met Police announced that a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with arson not endangering life for the ‘firebomb’ thrown through the window of Kenton United Synagogue, near Harrow, on Sunday.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 21 April.  A 19-year-old man who was also arrested after the attack has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the Senior National Co-ordinator of Counter Terrorism Policing, said: ‘We’ve made very clear that we will be relentless in our pursuit of anyone involved in carrying out or planning these arson attacks.

‘Our message is clear, we will not tolerate this intimidation of our communities, and will pursue those responsible. 

‘One of our key lines of inquiry is whether criminal proxies – that is to say people being paid money to carry out a crime, are being used to commit any of these arsons.

‘While our investigations into this are still ongoing, 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.

‘When we identify you, we will seek to prosecute you. This will include considering offences under the National Security Act which comes with a significant sentence and lifetime restrictions.

‘We will not rest until all those responsible for these acts are held to full account.

‘As well as making arrests, Counter Terrorism Policing resources have also been deployed in north west London to support the significant Met police operation to help deter further attacks and provide reassurance to Jewish places of worship and businesses.’

‘I would like to thank our communities for their support as we investigate these crimes, and would urge the public to be alert to anything which doesn’t feel right and report it to us.’

The arrests follow arson attacks against Jewish community targets over the last month.

At midnight on Sunday, a ‘bottle with some sort of accelerant’ was thrown through the window of a medical room at Kenton United Synagogue, in Harrow, causing smoke and minor damage to the premises.

The incident was noticed by Met officers conducting security checks at local synagogues, who came across the scene. 

Last Friday, suspicious items – including two jars containing powder – were found near the Israeli embassy in West London, forcing Kensington Gardens to be closed off while detectives investigated.

Police said the embassy was not attacked but officers are investigating whether the items were linked to a video posted by an Iran-linked Islamist group claiming to have targeted the building with drones carrying radioactive substances.

On Friday night, there was an attempted arson attack against the former offices of educational charity Jewish Futures, in Hendon, north-west London.

Met Police said a man had approached the premises with a plastic bag containing what was later found to be three bottles containing ‘fluid’. 

Two days previously, balaclava-clad suspects threw a brick and two bottles, thought to contain petrol, at Finchley Reform Synagogue.

A 47-year-old man and 46-year-old woman in Watford were arrested in connection with the incident. 

Arsonists also targeted four Jewish community ambulances run by Hatzola – a volunteer-led service – in Golders Green, north London, on March 23.

Forty firefighters and six fire engines rushed to Highfield Road, near the Machzike Hadath synagogue, at approximately 1.45am following the incident. 

The firebombing caused gas canisters stored in the ambulances to explode, with the force from the blast causing windows to break in a block of flats close by.

The synagogue, one of Europe’s oldest, had its roof damaged and stained glass windows smashed in the fire. There were no injuries.