[Reader-list] Anti-terror swoops follow months of surveillance

[Taha Mehmood]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/09/anti-terror-operation-england


  Anti-terror swoops follow months of surveillance

• Speculation that night clubs were among targets
• Twelve arrests follow raids on 15 north-west locations

    * Owen Bowcott <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/owenbowcott> and
      Richard Norton-Taylor
      <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/richardnortontaylor>
    * The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian>, Thursday 9
      April 2009
    * Article history
      <http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/09/anti-terror-operation-england#history-byline>


The scale and speed of the anti-terror operation mounted by hundreds of 
officers across north-west England last night points to extensive prior 
surveillance of a suspected plot aimed at domestic targets.

The home secretary's decision to congratulate police 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/police> even as the raids were going 
on reinforced the theory that senior Whitehall officials were confident 
a major security threat had been countered.

Describing it as a "successful anti-terrorism operation", Jacqui Smith 
said: "The decision to take such action was an operational matter for 
the police and the Security Service but the prime minister and I were 
kept fully appraised of developments. We face a severe terrorist threat 
in this country."

Intelligence sources said the information gathered indicated "a 
potentially serious plot against UK targets", adding: "The focus of this 
is in the UK." It is believed officers did not know the specific targets.

Other sources speculated that attacks may have been planned on 
nightclubs in Manchester's city centre or the nearby Trafford shopping 
centre complex. It is understood the police raids were scheduled for 2am 
today but were moved forward to 5pm yesterday.

The 12 men were arrested at seven separate locations across the 
north-west and at least another eight addresses were searched. Scores of 
students witnessed one arrest at Liverpool John Moores University.

Police said one man was arrested near the campus. Student Daniel Taylor 
said: "When I looked I saw a man on the floor. Police were shouting at 
him and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed 
right into his head."

At Cedar Grove, Liverpool, three men were arrested. A resident said: "I 
looked and about midway down the road there were a load of police 
officers dressed in black and they were bringing some men out of a house."

Another man was arrested at Earle Road, Liverpool.

An eyewitness, Rebecca Mallon, said: "A lot of men wearing black, not 
police uniforms, it looked like combat gear, burst out of the cars and 
stormed the door to a flat next to one of the shops."

In Galsworthy Avenue, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, two men were arrested. 
A neighbour, Bushra Majid, said: "I opened the door and four or five 
policemen were on top of a man. They were dragging him along the street 
and he had no shoes on."

In Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, two men were arrested at premises 
thought to be an internet cafe and shop. Local resident Mesu Raza said: 
"I saw police arrest two people and put them in a police van. They had 
handcuffs on, they were Asian men, and the police were armed."

Two men were arrested at a premises in Clitheroe, Lancashire. Police did 
not reveal the address, but local sources said that up to 100 officers 
swooped on a Homebase store and arrested two security guards as work 
colleagues looked on.

Mark Barlowe, who saw the Homebase raid, said: "Looking at the police 
vehicles, they weren't from round here. The majority were from out of 
town. They swooped in, a lot of them in riot gear."

A further arrest took place on the M602.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation which works 
with young Muslims, said: "I would urge caution ... There have been many 
anti-terror raids in the past where people have been proven innocent."