A 17-year-old has been arrested by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of a terrorism offence after being stopped by police under ‘schedule 7’ counter-terrorism powers upon returning to the UK on a flight into London Gatwick Airport.
The teenager was stopped under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act (TACT), 2000, on Sunday, 2 June. During the stop, officers examined his mobile phone and subsequently arrested him on suspicion of dissemination of terrorist material, contrary to section 2, TACT, 2006.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, stated, “We work closely with other partner agencies to monitor our ports and borders and the powers available to us under schedule 7 help us to keep the UK safe from potential terrorist threats.”
Murphy added, “This is also another example of a teenager being arrested for terrorism offences, and it is a concerning trend that we have been seeing for some time. Our message to parents, carers, friends, and family is that if you have any worries or concerns about a loved one being radicalised or drawn into extremism or terrorism, then please ACT Early and get in touch so that we can help before it could be too late.”
Anyone with concerns about someone who may be vulnerable to radicalisation can visit the ACT Early website www.actearly.uk, where advice, guidance, and support are available. This includes information on warning signs to look out for, as well as tips on what to do and what not to do if you think someone may be being radicalised.
The ACT Early Support Line is also available between 9 am and 5 pm daily at 0800 011 3764, where concerns can be shared with specially trained officers in confidence.
The 17-year-old boy was interviewed at a London police station and has been released on bail until a date in July. The investigation relates to extreme Islamist-related material. As part of the investigation, officers have also conducted a search at a residential address in south-west London, and enquiries remain ongoing.
