Seven people have been arrested by antiterrorism police investigating a series of Iran-linked arson attacks in the UK.
The arrests come after 17-year-old boy has admitted arson after an attack on a synagogue in north-west London.
The Metropolitan Police said the suspects were arrested within 48 hours in connection with an alleged conspiracy to commit a further arson attack on a venue used by the Jewish community, although the specific target is not yet known.
Since late March, there have been arson attacks on Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, two synagogues, a former Jewish charity, and the Iran International TV station. There was also an incident in which a drone was flown near the Israeli embassy and so far there have been 23 arrests.
Responsibility for the latest attack, which took place on Sunday on a synagogues in north London, was once again claimed by Harakat Ashab Al Yamin Al Islamia, or Ashab Al Yamin, which translates to the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right Hand.
The group is widely believed to be an Iranian front and police officers are investigating whether street criminals are being paid to carry out the attacks.
Dozens suspected
The Met said latest arrests were carried out by detectives from Counter-Terrorism Policing London and involved three men aged 24, 25 and 26 held in Harpenden, in Hertfordshire, at 9pm on Sunday, April 19. They have been released on bail.
On Monday, a 25-year-old man was arrested in Stevenage, also in Hertfordshire, while a 26-year-old man and two women aged 50 and 59 were detained in a car near Birmingham.
They have all been taken to a London police station where they currently remain in custody.
Another arrest has also been made in connection with the embassy incident, where a drone was flown in Kensington Gardens carrying jars, which were later found to contain non-hazardous material.
A 39-year-old man was held in Ealing, London, under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act, which allows a person to be arrested without a warrant if they are suspected of being a terrorist.
The Met’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, who is the Senior National Co-ordinator of Counter Terrorism Policing, said police have “made very clear that we will be relentless in our pursuit of anyone involved in carrying out or planning these arson attacks”.
“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,” said Ms Evans.
“While our investigations into this are still continuing, 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.”
Ashab Al Yamin have also claimed responsibility for a series of attacks including in Belgium, the Netherlands and France but who exactly they are beyond social media channels is unclear.
The group has been spreading videos of the attacks it says its behind through its own Telegram channel and those linked to Iranian-aligned Iraq Shia militias.
