A terror plot to target the London Underground has been foiled after police found what they suspect to be a viable bomb on a tube train, planted by a terrorist planning further attacks.
A 19-year-old man was tasered and arrested by armed counter-terrorism officers on Friday, a day after the suspect device was found on board a train near the O2 Centre (an indoor shopping and entertainment centre).
On Friday it emerged that security officials had contacted the Ministry of Defence after the find to warn serving military personnel, and the threat level for transport in London had been raised to severe to reflect that an attack was highly likely.
Police uncover London Underground bomb plot: teenage suspect arrested after 'viable improvised explosive device' found on tube train
Ben Farmer
Nicola Harley
22 October 2016
The Telegraph
A terror plot to target the London Underground has been foiled after police found what they suspect to be a viable bomb on a tube train, planted by a terrorist planning further attacks.
A 19-year-old man was tasered and arrested by armed counter-terrorism officers on Friday, a day after the suspect device was found on board a train near the O2 Centre.
On Friday it emerged that security officials had contacted the Ministry of Defence after the find to warn serving military personnel, and the threat level for transport in London had been raised to severe to reflect that an attack was highly likely.
Police arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of terrorism offences after the suspect device was found
In a note the MoD had told personnel: "It remains possible that the perpetrator may attempt to place further devices."
British Transport Police confirmed that they had increased security arrangements because of the discovery and would be stepping up patrols.
The discovery of the suspect device and the subsequent arrest came 11 years after the 7/7 bombings when the London transport network was targeted in a terror attack that killed 52 passengers.
Details of the suspected plot emerged in the memo sent to serving military personnel, forwarding a warning from the security agency that monitors terror threat levels.
The memo said the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre “has raised the threat level for transport in London to severe: an attack is highly likely”.
It said: “This increase is in response to the discovery of a suspected viable improvised explosive device (IED) on a London Underground train yesterday.
“It is unknown who placed the device and what their motivation was. Therefore it remains possible that the perpetrator may attempt to place further devices. The threat level will continue to be reviewed as further information is received.”
It is understood the threat level for transport outside London remains unchanged at moderate.
The Home Office declined to comment on the threat level and other bodies including Transport for London and Network Rail also refused to comment.
The teenage terror suspect was later arrested outside London Metropolitan University on Holloway Road, around 10 miles from where the suspected bomb was discovered in north Greenwich.
Witnesses described the young man being dragged to the ground by plain-clothed masked officers carrying machine guns.
One onlooker said the police appeared to be waiting for the suspect.
The suspect, described as Asian in appearance with black hair, was tasered in the back as he walked along.
A shop worker who did not wish to be named said: "He was just walking down the street doing his business.
"He was just a normal guy walking along slowly.
"He was definitely Asian and he definitely had black hair and I think he was in his 20s.
"Officers came from behind him and tasered him.
"They jumped on him. He was on the floor.
"They checked him. They put him in a car and took him away.
"I saw the whole thing from where I work."
Police on Holloway Road, north London Credit: PA WIRE
Another witness, a man called Ali, 30, said: "The armed police, I think five of them, ran behind him and put him on the floor.
"He was struggling not to get arrested for like a good five minutes. They were shouting 'armed police, don't struggle'. Everything happened so quick."
Emi Koizumi, 42, added: “We saw loads of police, including armed [police] and also plain-clothed [officers] with their faces covered.
“The plain-clothed police ran off down the street towards Highbury Corner right as we walked up.
“No one would tell us what was going on under the railway bridge.”
The scene on Holloway Road Credit: PA WIRE
Specialist forensic officers will examine the suspect package over the weekend and sources said it would be early next week before they could determine exactly what it was.
Scotland Yard said the arrest came “following the discovery of a suspicious item on a tube in north Greenwich”.
A statement said: “The 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism acts, under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He has been taken to a London police station where he remains in custody."
Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the suspected device.
The arrest came as security experts warned that militants from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) may try to attack the UK as a reprisal for its support for the offensive on Mosul.
Hundreds of battle-hardened jihadists are also expected to return to Europe as Isil’s caliphate in Iraq and Syria shrinks in the face of the Western-backed offensive.
Police uncover London Underground bomb plot: teenage suspect arrested after 'viable improvised explosive device' found on tube train
A 19-year-old man was tasered and arrested by armed counter-terrorism officers on Friday, a day after the suspect device was found on board a train near the O2 Centre (an indoor shopping and entertainment centre).
On Friday it emerged that security officials had contacted the Ministry of Defence after the find to warn serving military personnel, and the threat level for transport in London had been raised to severe to reflect that an attack was highly likely.
Police uncover London Underground bomb plot: teenage suspect arrested after 'viable improvised explosive device' found on tube train
Ben Farmer
Nicola Harley
22 October 2016
The Telegraph
A terror plot to target the London Underground has been foiled after police found what they suspect to be a viable bomb on a tube train, planted by a terrorist planning further attacks.
A 19-year-old man was tasered and arrested by armed counter-terrorism officers on Friday, a day after the suspect device was found on board a train near the O2 Centre.
On Friday it emerged that security officials had contacted the Ministry of Defence after the find to warn serving military personnel, and the threat level for transport in London had been raised to severe to reflect that an attack was highly likely.
Police arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of terrorism offences after the suspect device was found
In a note the MoD had told personnel: "It remains possible that the perpetrator may attempt to place further devices."
British Transport Police confirmed that they had increased security arrangements because of the discovery and would be stepping up patrols.
The discovery of the suspect device and the subsequent arrest came 11 years after the 7/7 bombings when the London transport network was targeted in a terror attack that killed 52 passengers.
Details of the suspected plot emerged in the memo sent to serving military personnel, forwarding a warning from the security agency that monitors terror threat levels.
The memo said the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre “has raised the threat level for transport in London to severe: an attack is highly likely”.
It said: “This increase is in response to the discovery of a suspected viable improvised explosive device (IED) on a London Underground train yesterday.
“It is unknown who placed the device and what their motivation was. Therefore it remains possible that the perpetrator may attempt to place further devices. The threat level will continue to be reviewed as further information is received.”
It is understood the threat level for transport outside London remains unchanged at moderate.
The Home Office declined to comment on the threat level and other bodies including Transport for London and Network Rail also refused to comment.
The teenage terror suspect was later arrested outside London Metropolitan University on Holloway Road, around 10 miles from where the suspected bomb was discovered in north Greenwich.
Witnesses described the young man being dragged to the ground by plain-clothed masked officers carrying machine guns.
One onlooker said the police appeared to be waiting for the suspect.
The suspect, described as Asian in appearance with black hair, was tasered in the back as he walked along.
A shop worker who did not wish to be named said: "He was just walking down the street doing his business.
"He was just a normal guy walking along slowly.
"He was definitely Asian and he definitely had black hair and I think he was in his 20s.
"Officers came from behind him and tasered him.
"They jumped on him. He was on the floor.
"They checked him. They put him in a car and took him away.
"I saw the whole thing from where I work."
Police on Holloway Road, north London Credit: PA WIRE
Another witness, a man called Ali, 30, said: "The armed police, I think five of them, ran behind him and put him on the floor.
"He was struggling not to get arrested for like a good five minutes. They were shouting 'armed police, don't struggle'. Everything happened so quick."
Emi Koizumi, 42, added: “We saw loads of police, including armed [police] and also plain-clothed [officers] with their faces covered.
“The plain-clothed police ran off down the street towards Highbury Corner right as we walked up.
“No one would tell us what was going on under the railway bridge.”
The scene on Holloway Road Credit: PA WIRE
Specialist forensic officers will examine the suspect package over the weekend and sources said it would be early next week before they could determine exactly what it was.
Scotland Yard said the arrest came “following the discovery of a suspicious item on a tube in north Greenwich”.
A statement said: “The 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism acts, under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He has been taken to a London police station where he remains in custody."
Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the suspected device.
The arrest came as security experts warned that militants from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) may try to attack the UK as a reprisal for its support for the offensive on Mosul.
Hundreds of battle-hardened jihadists are also expected to return to Europe as Isil’s caliphate in Iraq and Syria shrinks in the face of the Western-backed offensive.
Police uncover London Underground bomb plot: teenage suspect arrested after 'viable improvised explosive device' found on tube train
Last edited:
