LONDON: Counter-terrorism detectives arrested five men in an early morning raid in northwest England on Monday.

It was reported that the suspects were being held for committing terrorism offences and for inciting a terrorism incident overseas. Police said the suspects, aged 21, 26, 27, 52 and 62, were detained after raids at homes in Manchester and Bolton, and at a hotel near London’s Heathrow Airport, adding that the properties were also being searched. It said no armed officers were involved in the raids. “The ongoing investigation has reached a critical point, therefore it was important to make arrests and speak to a number of people,” said Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thompson.

The police had earlier carried out raids across northwest England in April in an operation against what Prime Minister Gordon Brown described at the time as a “very big terrorist plot”. These raids had to be made public after the then-top counter-terrorism officer was photographed carrying a document relating to the operation, and 12 men who had been arrested were later released without charge. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to speak at the annual London Lord Mayor’s Banquet in defence of Britain’s actions in Afghanistan. reuters

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