Five people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences as part of an anti-terror investigation launched in the wake of the attacks in Paris and Brussels.
West Midlands Police arrested three men, aged 26, 40 and 59, and a 29-year-old woman in raids in Birmingham on Thursday night, and a fifth suspect, a 26-year-old man, was arrested at Gatwick Airport in the early hours of Friday morning as he arrived in the UK from North Africa.
The investigation included information shared with the police by MI5 and the French and Belgian intelligence services.
Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, who leads on counter terrorism for the West Midlands, said:
“This action forms part of an extensive investigation by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU), together with the wider counter terrorism network, MI5 and international partners including Belgian and French authorities to address any associated threat to the UK following the attacks in Europe.
“The arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led. There was no risk to the public at any time and there is no information to suggest an attack in the UK was being planned.”
Police said there was no risk to the public and they had no information to suggest an attack in the UK was being planned.
