Adolescent, 14 years old, unjustly detained during police probe regarding a suspected terrorism scheme
Rewritten Article:
A youthful lad, merely 14, found himself in a pickle when he was apprehended during an intense counter-terror investigation, the authorities claim.
Counter-terror units took five men into custody—all nationals of Iran—as they swooped in on multiple locations across the nation on the 3rd of May. The suspected plot revolved around a plan to target a specified location.
According to the Metropolitan Police, who are leading the investigation, a man and a 14-year-old boy, along with another individual, fled the scene of one of the arrests in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The trio was quickly apprehended, but later, fingers crossed, they were released without any charges.
The boy shared his harrowing tale with the Manchester Evening News, explaining that armed officers emerged from an unmarked vehicle that stopped in front of him, pointed a gun in his face, and ordered him to hit the deck. He claimed that they then pinned him down and knelt on his neck.
The Metropolitan Police released this statement:
"As part of an ongoing counter-terrorism investigation into a suspected terrorist plot, a man was detained in Stockport on May 3. During the arrest, three individuals in the vicinity seemed to have skedaddled from the scene, causing the officers to arrest them to ensure they weren't linked to the investigation or a potential threat to public safety. The two men and the 14-year-old boy were eventually unshackled, as it was established that they were not concerning figures."
Naturals who live on the quiet Cheadle Hulme street were left stunned by the police operation that unfolded near their humble abodes. Sarah Owen-Jones shared her son's terrifying ordeal of being trapped in a nearby park with his mates as heavily-armed officers moved in stealthily.
The arrests involved five Iranian men:
- A 29-year-old man nabbed in the Swindon area
- A 46-year-old man apprehended in west London
- A 29-year-old man snagged in the Stockport area
- A 40-year-old man detained in Rochdale
- A 24-year-old man apprehended in the Manchester area.
Authorities granted additional detention warrants for the first four men, who are detained under terrorism laws, keeping them incarcerated until May 10. The 24-year-old man, initially taken into custody under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), was released on bail to appear in court in May.
Police are currently conducting searches at several addresses in Greater Manchester, London, and Swindon as part of the ongoing investigation.
Commander Dominic Murphy, chief of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, stated: "At this stage, the investigation is in its infancy, with various avenues of inquiry being explored to identify any potential motives and any potential additional risks to the public associated with this matter."
Meanwhile, an additional three Iranian nationals were taken into custody in London as part of a separate, unrelated counter-terrorism investigation. The three men, aged 39, 44, and 55, were arrested under section 27 of the National Security Act of 2023 for alleged involvement in foreign power threat activities. Further warrants of detention have been obtained, allowing them to be held in custody until May 10.
- The counter-terror investigation that resulted in the detention of a 14-year-old boy also led to the apprehension of five Iranian nationals, including one in Swindon, another in west London, a third in Stockport, and two in Rochdale and Manchester.
- Politics and general news outlets have reported on the ongoing detention of four of the Iranian men, who were granted additional warrants under terrorism laws, while the fifth was released on bail to appear in court in May.
- The ongoing investigation stages involve searches at several addresses in Greater Manchester, London, and Swindon, as well as the arrest of three additional Iranian nationals in London for suspected foreign power threat activities.
- Commander Dominic Murphy, in charge of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, mentioned that the investigation is in its initial stages, with multiple lines of inquiry being pursued to uncover any potential motives and associated risks to public safety.
