Counter terror police arrested two men under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 following raids in Manchester, Salford and Liverpool, in connection with an alleged imminent threat to the Jewish community, which they believe has been thwarted.
The arrests came after police swooped on a property on Newton Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter at around 2.34pm on Sunday (September 20), with witnesses reporting six unmarked police cars and plain clothed officers wearing snoods. The following day, police raided a large stone brick property on Lancaster Road in Salford, understood to be a men's hostel, and a flat in Liverpool.
Investigation extends to Cheetham Hill and Heaton Park
The investigation is set to be extended further, into Cheetham Hill and Heaton Park, the Manchester Evening News understands. The Metropolitan Police, leading the investigation, stressed 'there is no information to suggest any wider threat to the public'.
As crime reporter John Scheerhout revealed, the police investigation is thought to concern an alleged imminent threat to the Jewish community. He noted that terrorism stories are often slow-burners, starting with minimal information due to the investigation being in its infancy or operational reasons.
Arrests under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000
The arrests were made under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows officers on the ground to carry out an arrest without an arrest warrant, suggesting police were forced to act quickly. On Tuesday, searches were continuing for a third day at Lancaster House, a men's hostel in Salford.
The arrests came as Jewish communities were preparing to celebrate Yom Kippur on Monday, the holiest day in their calendar. It was the first anniversary of the deadly terror attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in which Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed.
Security operation and community response
Police, including armed cops, were part of a huge security operation to protect Manchester's Jewish communities in the run up to Yom Kippur. Since the attack, Jewish people in Greater Manchester have had to face a stark rise in antisemitism.
Marc Levy, chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council (JRC) of Greater Manchester, called for the Government to “redouble” efforts to tackle the root causes of the hatred and extremism. “Yesterday marked one year since Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were murdered in a terrorist attack targeting our community on Yom Kippur,” he said. “The fact that, on that anniversary, a terrorist plot has been foiled which could once again have targeted Jews in Manchester makes this an incredibly concerning time for Jewish people in the UK.”
