Police arrest five over alleged terrorist plot

[Slow.Patrol]

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/03/uk/uk-alleged-t...

Four confirmed as Iranian

[Mr Penguin]

I am watching this with interest. Could it be related to this (there many similar cases if not this specific one)? https://archive.ph/HqU24

Feels like a story that could grow and grow.

[Slow.Patrol]

Indeed

You wonder why we are importing people who hate the UK.

[bitchstewie]

Eight arrested now and the way I'm reading it is seven are Iranian but it's now two investigations though they're not connected.

Eight arrested in two separate anti-terror operations

If I was guessing there's going to be a state sponsored element to this.

[Hill92]

bhstewie said:

Eight arrested now and the way I'm reading it is seven are Iranian but it's now two investigations though they're not connected.

Eight arrested in two separate anti-terror operations

If I was guessing there's going to be a state sponsored element to this.

State element could be the target premises a la Iranian Embassy siege.

[Gecko1978]

We don't know anything as yet but Iran are backers of Hezbollah and Hamas and the UK has struck targets in Yeman of the Houthi's also Iran back could be a response to that

[Eric Mc]

Slow.Patrol said:

Indeed

You wonder why we are importing people who hate the UK.

Is that one of the questions people are asked when they apply to come to the UK?

[Elroy Blue]

If I was a UK passport holder in Iran, I'd be keeping my head very firmly down. Iran will be looking to arrest a similar number of UK citizens to trade

[FredericRobinson]

Slow.Patrol said:

Indeed

You wonder why we are importing people who hate the UK.

We don’t know who these people are or who they hate yet

[TonyToniTone]

FredericRobinson said:

We don’t know who these people are or who they hate yet

Exactly, they could have planting love bombs for all we know.

[Gareth79]

Mr Penguin said:

I am watching this with interest. Could it be related to this (there many similar cases if not this specific one)? https://archive.ph/HqU24

Feels like a story that could grow and grow.

Yes, my first thought was that it's all related to the Iran International TV station, either the previous activities or them planning something new. The previous attacks were all very brazen, and one piece of surveillance was picked up by a security guard being suspicious and knowing enough Russian to understand the guy was insulting him on his phone call to somebody else:

https://news.sky.com/story/man-guilty-of-spying-on...

[Earthdweller]

There's footage on X that claims to show Special Forces involved in the arrests alongside the Police CTSFO's ( Counter terrorist specialist firearms officers)

Which, if true, would seem to suggest a pretty serious threat

Edited by Earthdweller on Sunday 4th May 16:47

[TheRainMaker]

Earthdweller said:

There's footage on X that claims to show Special Forces involved in the arrests alongside the Police CTSFO's ( Counter terrorist specialist firearms officers)

Footage shows people in camouflage, alongside people in Police uniforms.

I have never seen the Police in camouflage before, so I guess that's what has probably got people thinking some of them are not Police.

[Dingu]

Slow.Patrol said:

Indeed

You wonder why we are importing people who hate the UK.

Apparently because they are more intelligent than the natives based on that tripe.

[Earthdweller]

Just musing on my part but I wonder if this is connected to the VE Day celebrations and parade in London tomorrow

The M.E.N. Is reporting a senior police source saying there are several hundred officers and staff working on the case

[Gareth79]

Earthdweller said:

There's footage on X that claims to show Special Forces involved in the arrests alongside the Police CTSFO's ( Counter terrorist specialist firearms officers)

Which, if true, would seem to suggest a pretty serious threat

Edited by Earthdweller on Sunday 4th May 16:47

Video here: https://x.com/Mupper41/status/1918975456067400049

Apparently the kit used differentiates them from CFSFO, not just the camo.

Interesting there was SAS training recently in Baguely, in full view of a Tesco car park, and some other increased activity:

https://x.com/altrinchamtoday/status/1916964837583...

Edited by Gareth79 on Sunday 4th May 18:01

[Countdown]

Slow.Patrol said:

Indeed

You wonder why we are importing people who hate the UK.

What about Devon? Surely nobody could hate Devon?

[LM240]

Earthdweller said:

There's footage on X that claims to show Special Forces involved in the arrests alongside the Police CTSFO's ( Counter terrorist specialist firearms officers)

Which, if true, would seem to suggest a pretty serious threat

Edited by Earthdweller on Sunday 4th May 16:47

CTSFO and SF working alongside is not unusual, but their presence would indicate a higher threat level.

[Earthdweller]

LM240 said:

Earthdweller said:

There's footage on X that claims to show Special Forces involved in the arrests alongside the Police CTSFO's ( Counter terrorist specialist firearms officers)

Which, if true, would seem to suggest a pretty serious threat

Edited by Earthdweller on Sunday 4th May 16:47

CTSFO and SF working alongside is not unusual, but their presence would indicate a higher threat level.

Indeed, during the hunt for Dale Cregan for instance the number of non police "assets" deployed was quite staggering

Similarly in the immediate aftermath of the MEN Arena bombing unmarked helicopters landed and unloaded men and equipment within 45 minutes and were met by unmarked vans at a location just outside the city centre

The claim in that Irish link that the SAS routinely man ARV's is complete bks though

[Astacus]

Earthdweller said:

LM240 said:

Earthdweller said:

There's footage on X that claims to show Special Forces involved in the arrests alongside the Police CTSFO's ( Counter terrorist specialist firearms officers)

Which, if true, would seem to suggest a pretty serious threat

Edited by Earthdweller on Sunday 4th May 16:47

CTSFO and SF working alongside is not unusual, but their presence would indicate a higher threat level.

Indeed, during the hunt for Dale Cregan for instance the number of non police "assets" deployed was quite staggering

Similarly in the immediate aftermath of the MEN Arena bombing unmarked helicopters landed and unloaded men and equipment within 45 minutes and were met by unmarked vans at a location just outside the city centre

The claim in that Irish link that the SAS routinely man ARV's is complete bks though

Not a very catchy initialism is it CTSFO ? surely they can come up with an acronym