Seven British-Pakistanis held on terror suspicion
LONDON: The British police and secret service MI5, in a joint operation, have arrested seven people believed to be of the Pakistani origin on suspicion of terror offences after firearms and other weapons were found in a car. One man is from West Yorkshire and six from Birmingham, West Midlands. They are being questioned on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism following a series of arrests this week, police said on Friday. News of the arrests came a day after six people, including a white Muslim convert, were detained over an alleged plan to carry out a major terrorist attack, possibly during the Olympics. Items found in the vehicle were undergoing forensic analysis, and searches were carried out at the addresses of those in custody. A West Midlands police spokesman said that officers found material including firearms following a routine stop on the M1 in South Yorkshire last weekend. He said, “The arrests followed a routine stop of a vehicle by police on the M1 motorway in South Yorkshire on Saturday.” The car was impounded on suspicion of having no insurance. A sources in the West Midlands police told Daily Times that the youngsters arrested in the terror raids were of Pakistani origin.