Anti-terror swoops follow months of surveillance
Police at the scene of an address in Earle Road, Wavertree, Liverpool after a series of arrests of men suspected of links with al-Qaida. Photograph: Mike Hornby/PA
The scale and speed of the anti-terror operation mounted by hundreds of officers across north-west England last night points to extensive prior surveillance of a suspected plot aimed at domestic targets.
The home secretary's decision to congratulate police even as the raids were going on reinforced the theory that senior Whitehall officials were confident a major security threat had been countered.
Describing it as a "successful anti-terrorism operation", Jacqui Smith said: "The decision to take such action was an operational matter for the police and the Security Service but the prime minister and I were kept fully appraised of developments. We face a severe terrorist threat in this country."
Intelligence sources said the information gathered indicated "a potentially serious plot against UK targets", adding: "The focus of this is in the UK." It is believed officers did not know the specific targets.
Other sources speculated that attacks may have been planned on nightclubs in Manchester's city centre or the nearby Trafford shopping centre complex. It is understood the police raids were scheduled for 2am today but were moved forward to 5pm yesterday.
The 12 men were arrested at seven separate locations across the north-west and at least another eight addresses were searched. Scores of students witnessed one arrest at Liverpool John Moores University.
Police said one man was arrested near the campus. Student Daniel Taylor said: "When I looked I saw a man on the floor. Police were shouting at him and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed right into his head."
At Cedar Grove, Liverpool, three men were arrested. A resident said: "I looked and about midway down the road there were a load of police officers dressed in black and they were bringing some men out of a house."
Another man was arrested at Earle Road, Liverpool.
An eyewitness, Rebecca Mallon, said: "A lot of men wearing black, not police uniforms, it looked like combat gear, burst out of the cars and stormed the door to a flat next to one of the shops."
In Galsworthy Avenue, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, two men were arrested. A neighbour, Bushra Majid, said: "I opened the door and four or five policemen were on top of a man. They were dragging him along the street and he had no shoes on."
In Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, two men were arrested at premises thought to be an internet cafe and shop. Local resident Mesu Raza said: "I saw police arrest two people and put them in a police van. They had handcuffs on, they were Asian men, and the police were armed."
Two men were arrested at a premises in Clitheroe, Lancashire. Police did not reveal the address, but local sources said that up to 100 officers swooped on a Homebase store and arrested two security guards as work colleagues looked on.
Mark Barlowe, who saw the Homebase raid, said: "Looking at the police vehicles, they weren't from round here. The majority were from out of town. They swooped in, a lot of them in riot gear."
A further arrest took place on the M602.
Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation which works with young Muslims, said: "I would urge caution ... There have been many anti-terror raids in the past where people have been proven innocent."
Police at the scene of an address in Earle Road, Wavertree, Liverpool after a series of arrests of men suspected of links with al-Qaida. Photograph: Mike Hornby/PAThe home secretary's decision to congratulate police even as the raids were going on reinforced the theory that senior Whitehall officials were confident a major security threat had been countered.
Describing it as a "successful anti-terrorism operation", Jacqui Smith said: "The decision to take such action was an operational matter for the police and the Security Service but the prime minister and I were kept fully appraised of developments. We face a severe terrorist threat in this country."
Intelligence sources said the information gathered indicated "a potentially serious plot against UK targets", adding: "The focus of this is in the UK." It is believed officers did not know the specific targets.
Other sources speculated that attacks may have been planned on nightclubs in Manchester's city centre or the nearby Trafford shopping centre complex. It is understood the police raids were scheduled for 2am today but were moved forward to 5pm yesterday.
The 12 men were arrested at seven separate locations across the north-west and at least another eight addresses were searched. Scores of students witnessed one arrest at Liverpool John Moores University.
Police said one man was arrested near the campus. Student Daniel Taylor said: "When I looked I saw a man on the floor. Police were shouting at him and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed right into his head."
At Cedar Grove, Liverpool, three men were arrested. A resident said: "I looked and about midway down the road there were a load of police officers dressed in black and they were bringing some men out of a house."
Another man was arrested at Earle Road, Liverpool.
An eyewitness, Rebecca Mallon, said: "A lot of men wearing black, not police uniforms, it looked like combat gear, burst out of the cars and stormed the door to a flat next to one of the shops."
In Galsworthy Avenue, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, two men were arrested. A neighbour, Bushra Majid, said: "I opened the door and four or five policemen were on top of a man. They were dragging him along the street and he had no shoes on."
In Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, two men were arrested at premises thought to be an internet cafe and shop. Local resident Mesu Raza said: "I saw police arrest two people and put them in a police van. They had handcuffs on, they were Asian men, and the police were armed."
Two men were arrested at a premises in Clitheroe, Lancashire. Police did not reveal the address, but local sources said that up to 100 officers swooped on a Homebase store and arrested two security guards as work colleagues looked on.
Mark Barlowe, who saw the Homebase raid, said: "Looking at the police vehicles, they weren't from round here. The majority were from out of town. They swooped in, a lot of them in riot gear."
A further arrest took place on the M602.
Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation which works with young Muslims, said: "I would urge caution ... There have been many anti-terror raids in the past where people have been proven innocent."
OWEN BOWCOTT & RICHARD NORTON TAYLOR
THE GUARDIAN, 9th APRIL 2009.
