Four alleged members of neo-Nazi group National Action have been arrested on terrorism-related charges.
The accused – a 22-year-old from Birmingham, a 32-year-old man from Powys, a 24-year-old from Ipswich and a 24-year-old from Northampton – were held on Tuesday by the West Midlands police, who say they have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences.
A spokesman said they “have been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000; namely on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organization (National Action) contrary to sec 11 of the Terrorism Act.”
National Action became the first far-right extremist group to be proscribed by the UK government under anti-terrorism laws in December 2016.
The men were arrested by police with the collaboration of counter-terrorism units from the West Midlands, Wales and the East Midlands.
“The arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led; there was no threat to the public’s safety,” a police spokesman added.
