Anjem Choudary among nine arrested in London anti-terrorism raid
Radical preacher among men held by Metropolitan police as part of ongoing battle against Islamist terror groups
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Vikram Dodd
theguardian.com, Thursday 25 September 2014 10.13 BST
Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary
Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary who is believed to be one of the nine men arrested. Photograph: Sean Dempsey/PA
Anjem Choudary, one of the most high profile Islamists in Britain, has been arrested by police for allegedly encouraging terrorism.
Choudary, 47, was one of nine men arrested by officers from Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command on Thursday morning.
Police gave only sparse details, but the men were arrested on suspicion of being members of a proscribed organisation, supporting a proscribed organisation, as well as encouraging terrorism.
Choudary was a former spokesperson for the extremist or radical group al-Muhajiroun, which was banned and then reinvented itself under various names, which were also proscribed.
Choudary gained publicity for statements over the years which inflamed some people, but which stayed on the right side of the law.
He is a former lawyer, self styled preacher and says he is an expert in Islamic or Shariah law.
On Thursday morning his phone was uncharacteristically switched off and a chat group he uses to communicate his message through was silent and saying it was last viewed at 5.33am.
The men arrested were aged from 22 to 51 years old and were all detained in London.
Police said a total of 19 addresses were being searched, mostly in London. Police said community premises were being raided, as well as residential and business addresses. One address is in Stoke-on-Trent in the Midlands, eleven in east London, one in west London, one in north-west London and five in south London.
In a statement the Met said: “These arrests and searches are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist related terrorism and are not in response to any immediate public safety risk.”
Choudary’s most recent group called itself “need4khilafah”. Choudary had previously acted as spokesperson for Omar Bakri Muhammad, the former leader of al-Muhajiroun, who left Britain to live in Lebanon.
Those arrested in Thursday’s raids are being held at police stations in the capital.
The Met said: “Officers from the Metropolitan police service’s counter-terrorism command have arrested nine men this morning, Thursday, 25 September, on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation, supporting a proscribed organisation contrary to Section 11 and 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and encouraging terrorism contrary to Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006.”
Radical preacher among men held by Metropolitan police as part of ongoing battle against Islamist terror groups
Share 89
inShare
0
Vikram Dodd
theguardian.com, Thursday 25 September 2014 10.13 BST
Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary
Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary who is believed to be one of the nine men arrested. Photograph: Sean Dempsey/PA
Anjem Choudary, one of the most high profile Islamists in Britain, has been arrested by police for allegedly encouraging terrorism.
Choudary, 47, was one of nine men arrested by officers from Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command on Thursday morning.
Police gave only sparse details, but the men were arrested on suspicion of being members of a proscribed organisation, supporting a proscribed organisation, as well as encouraging terrorism.
Choudary was a former spokesperson for the extremist or radical group al-Muhajiroun, which was banned and then reinvented itself under various names, which were also proscribed.
Choudary gained publicity for statements over the years which inflamed some people, but which stayed on the right side of the law.
He is a former lawyer, self styled preacher and says he is an expert in Islamic or Shariah law.
On Thursday morning his phone was uncharacteristically switched off and a chat group he uses to communicate his message through was silent and saying it was last viewed at 5.33am.
The men arrested were aged from 22 to 51 years old and were all detained in London.
Police said a total of 19 addresses were being searched, mostly in London. Police said community premises were being raided, as well as residential and business addresses. One address is in Stoke-on-Trent in the Midlands, eleven in east London, one in west London, one in north-west London and five in south London.
In a statement the Met said: “These arrests and searches are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist related terrorism and are not in response to any immediate public safety risk.”
Choudary’s most recent group called itself “need4khilafah”. Choudary had previously acted as spokesperson for Omar Bakri Muhammad, the former leader of al-Muhajiroun, who left Britain to live in Lebanon.
Those arrested in Thursday’s raids are being held at police stations in the capital.
The Met said: “Officers from the Metropolitan police service’s counter-terrorism command have arrested nine men this morning, Thursday, 25 September, on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation, supporting a proscribed organisation contrary to Section 11 and 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and encouraging terrorism contrary to Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006.”



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