Step-change in terror threat leads to record arrest figures

Counter-terrorism (CT) police made 441 arrests in the year to March 2018, 17 per cent more than the previous year and the highest number since records began.

Twelve terror plots have also been foiled and 114 people were charged with terror-related offences, more than a third of whom have since been convicted.

The figures, released by the Home Office on Thursday (June 14), show over 4,000 people have now been arrested on suspicion of terror-related offences since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, head of counter-terrorism policing, said the increase follows a “step-change” in the momentum of terror attacks in 2017.

“As a result, our operational activity increased to meet the new and emerging threats we now face,” he added.

“A year on and our activity continues to be at unprecedented levels; shown, not least, by the fact that, in the past year, working together with the security services we have stopped an average of one terrorist attack every month.

“Police, together with the security services, are determined to make the UK as hostile an environment for terrorists as possible.”

A total of 4,182 terror-related arrests have been made in the UK since 2001.

Twenty-three of the 441 people detained last year were suspected of involvement in the May Manchester Arena bombing, while 21 arrests were made in connection with the London Bridge attack in June.

Another eight arrests were made over the Finsbury Park and Parsons Green attacks.

For the first time, the figures released by the Home Office included ‘disruption’ arrests, in which officers believe a suspect arrested for other crimes may be linked to terrorist activity.

Use of stop and search powers also increased with the Metropolitan Police Service alone carrying out 768 searches under Section 43 of the Terrorism Act, 70 per cent more than in the previous year.

These led to 64 arrests – 33 more than in 2016/17 – pushing the arrest rate from seven per cent to eight per cent.

The first searches under Section 47a of the same legislation were also authorised over the period, with 128 made by forces including British Transport Police, North Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Police.

The increase reflects a sustained increase in the pace of activity by the CT network.

Twelve terror plots were foiled by police and UK intelligence officers since the Westminster attack in March 2017.

Around 600 active CT investigations are open at any one time, involving some 3,000 people judged as posing the biggest threat to the country.

The statistics also show that the profile of terror suspects is changing, with last year seeing the largest number of women arrested since records began.

CT police detained 56 women, accounting for 13 per cent of all arrests, up from the average of nine per cent over the previous 16 years.

Eleven per cent more Asian people were also arrested, while the number of white people arrested rose ten per cent – again, the highest level since the start of data collection.

The Government recently announced new counter-terror legislation to grant more powers to police officers.

Security Minister Ben Wallace said: “These figures demonstrate yet again the impressive work done by the police, MI5 and wider criminal justice system to keep us all safe.

“Intervening early is central to our strengthened counter-terrorism strategy and through the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill, we are introducing new laws giving the police the powers they need.”