Police given more time to question terror suspects

By ROBERT VERKAIK

Scotland Yard police officers have been granted more time to question nine of the 13 men arrested in co-ordinated anti-terrorism raids across the country last week.

Magistrates have given the police until today to hold the men when detectives must decide whether to release them or apply for a further extension. The nine men, aged between 19 and 32, are being held at Paddington Green high security police station in central London.

Scotland Yard said yesterday that two of the original 13 were no longer being questioned under the Terrorism Act, but remained in custody after being re-arrested on suspicion of possessing forged identity documents.

So far police have declined to identify any of the suspects or say what charges they might face.

At the time of the arrests last week, Scotland Yard would say only that the men were suspected of "being involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism".

Under the Terrorism Act, suspects can be held for a maximum of two weeks from the time of arrest. This means the men must be either charged or released by August 17. The 13 men, all believed to be of Asian origin, were arrested last Tuesday after raids on addresses in London, Bushey in Hertfordshire, Luton, Bedfordshire, and Blackburn, Lancashire.

One of the men was released later that day while a second - who was one of the two arrested in Blackburn - was released without charge on Friday.

The two no longer being questioned under the Terrorism Act were last night being detained under powers contained in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

One of them was among the five men who were initially arrested in Willesden, north London, while the other was one of the two arrested in Paddington, London.

Last week's arrests led to speculation about potential terrorist targets in Britain and prompted the Home Secretary David Blunkett to respond to unconfirmed reports that five al Qaeda militants were on the run in the UK.

Mr Blunkett said the country was "maintaining a state of heightened readiness", although he made no specific comment on reports that members of a terror "cell" escaped capture during police raids earlier last week.

He also defended the government's tactics on publicising the terror threat. Ministers had struck the right balance between keeping the public informed while causing no unnecessary alarm, he insisted.

"We are maintaining a state of heightened readiness and taking every feasible precautionary measure to protect British citizens, both here and abroad, consistent with the level of threat," said the Home Secretary.

Mr Blunkett said: "I am being kept fully informed of police operations. As these are ongoing, I cannot comment further on them at this stage.

"What matters is that the relevant authorities are vigorously pursuing their investigations in order to protect the public."

In response to Tory calls for the government to be more open about the current situation, he said that some sensitive details could jeopardise investigations and possibly prejudice trials if they were revealed.

In a specific effort to address the concerns of British Asians, Mr Blunkett said: "We do not see the Muslim community as a threat - the vast majority of Muslim people are peaceful and law-abiding. The powers within the Terrorism Act are aimed at preventing terrorism, whatever its source.

"They are not aimed at a particular race, religion, or any other group."

- INDEPENDENT