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British terrorism arrests after chance 'hydrogen peroxide' find
British police say two men have been arrested under anti-terror laws after two large containers labelled hydrogen peroxide were found in a flat. The pair were arrested Wednesday night (local time) in Bristol, the main city in south-west England, said Avon and Somerset police. The July 22, 2005 failed London bombings involved a plot to explode home-made devices made of hydrogen peroxide and chapatti flour in rucksacks. The bungled attack came two weeks after the deadly July 7 suicide attacks in the city. Avon and Somerset police made no links with that case, nor with last month's failed car bombings in London and Glasgow. Police initially arrested a man of Afghan origin in central Bristol on suspicion of drugs-related offences. They then searched a flat in a district with a large Muslim population, and found two 25-litre containers labelled hydrogen peroxide. The substances found "led them to believe there may be a potential link to terrorist activity," police said in a statement. The substances were undergoing forensic examination, with the results expected soon. The suspect was arrested again under the Terrorist Act 2006 and further investigations led to the arrest of a second man, of Somali origin. "This investigation is in its very early stages and we hope to clarify the situation at the earliest possible opportunity," said Assistant Chief Constable Steve Mortimore of Avon and Somerset Police. "Our message to the public for some time now has been that while we don't want people to be unduly afraid, everyone should be aware of the potential risks and be vigilant." Police said one of the arrested men was in his late teens to early twenties, while the other was in his fifties. Posted by: Fred 2007-07-21 |
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