Police have confirmed that they have made eight further arrests in connection with a recent spate of antisemitic incidents, including several arson attacks against synagogues.
Suspects were detained at several addresses in London, the Home Counties and the West Midlands over the weekend and into the early part of this week, Counter Terrorism Police confirmed.
Of those, seven suspects were arrested in connection with an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to commit arson against an unspecified venue, which police believe was linked to the Jewish community.
Three men, aged 24, 25 and 26, were arrested in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, on Sunday, followed by a 25-year-old man was arrested in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on Monday and two women, aged 50 and 59, near Birmingham.
An eighth person, a 39-year-old man, was arrested in Ealing, West London, under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in relation to an incident on Friday, which saw “jars of a non-hazardous substance” discovered in Kensington Gardens, adjacent to the Israeli embassy.
"Since the attack on the Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green on 23 March, CTP officers have now arrested a total of 23 people. Eight people have been charged with arson-related offences, while 13 people remain in custody or on bail under active police investigation,” added a spokesperson.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the Senior National Co-ordinator of Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “We’ve made very clear that we will be relentless in our pursuit of anyone involved in carrying out or planning these arson attacks.
“Our message is clear, we will not tolerate this intimidation of our communities and will pursue those responsible. One of our key lines of enquiry is whether criminal proxies – that is to say, people being paid money to carry out a crime – are being used to commit any of these arsons.
“While our investigations into this are still ongoing, my message to anyone even considering getting involved in this type of activity is this, the stakes are high, and it is absolutely not worth the risk.
“When we identify you, we will seek to prosecute you. This will include considering offences under the National Security Act, which comes with a significant sentence and lifetime restrictions.
“We will not rest until all those responsible for these acts are held to full account.
"As well as making arrests, Counter Terrorism Policing resources have also been deployed in north west London to support the significant Met police operation to help deter further attacks and provide reassurance to Jewish places of worship and businesses.
“I would like to thank our communities for their support as we investigate these crimes, and would urge the public to be alert to anything which doesn’t feel right and report it to us.”
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