A man is in custody after being arrested at Stansted Airport by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
The 44-year-old man was arrested on Sunday 5 December on suspicion of possession of an article for a purpose connected with terrorism, and collecting information of a kind likely to be useful for terrorism, under sections 57 and 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 respectively.
The man was arrested prior to boarding an outbound flight.
He was detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and taken to a London police station, where he remains.
The arrest is linked to suspected extreme right wing ideology.
It is not connected to the arrest of a 26-year-old UK national on Friday, 3 December.
There is not believed to be any imminent risk to the public.
Commander Richard Smith, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “This is the second terrorism arrest made at this airport in the last week and while the two arrests are not connected in any way, they show how active we are at airports and other ports in and around London and the UK.
“Every day, officers work with a range of partners to investigate potential terrorist threats, and take action to keep people safe.
“We continue to urge the public to stay vigilant and report anything that might be linked to terrorism to police.”
Every year thousands of reports from the public help the police keep communities safe from terrorism.
If you see or hear anything suspicious or of concern, then it can be reported to police, in confidence, via 0800 789 321 or online at www.gov.uk/ACT. In an emergency, or if you need urgent police assistance, always dial 999.
Message from Metropolitan Police:
Has someone you know started acting in ways that you know are out of character? Do you suspect they have developed an extremist mind set? We have specially trained officers who can help.
Please get in touch and report your concerns by calling the national police Prevent advice line – 0800 011 3764
