Four alleged members of banned neo-Nazi group National Action who have been arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terror are serving members of the Army.
The men, a 22-year-old from Birmingham, a 32-year-old from Powys, mid Wales, a 24-year-old from Ipswich and a 24-year-old from Northampton – were detained as part of a “pre-planned and intelligence-led” operation and there was “no threat to the public’s safety”, West Midlands Police said.
An Army spokesman said: “We can confirm that a number of serving members of the Army have been arrested under the Terrorism Act for being associated with a proscribed far-right group.
“These arrests are the consequence of a Home Office Police Force led operation supported by the Army. This is now the subject of a civilian police investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further. Any further inquiries should be made to the Home Office Police Force.”
In a statement, police said the suspects were 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 organisation (National Action) contrary to sec 11 of the Terrorism Act”.
All four are being held at a police station in the West Midlands and a number of properties are being searched.
The arrests were carried out with West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit in conjunction with the Wales Extremism Counter Terrorism Unit and the East Midlands Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit.
West Midlands Police said the four were detained as part of a an intelligence-led operation and there was no threat to the public’s safety (David Jones/PA)
National Action became first extreme right-wing group to be banned under terrorism laws in December 2016.
The proscription meant that being a member of or inviting support for the organisation is a criminal offence carrying a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
An entry for National Action in the official list of proscribed groups says it is a “racist neo-Nazi group” that was established in 2013 and has branches across the UK which “conduct provocative street demonstrations and stunts aimed at intimidating local communities”.
The document adds that the group is “virulently racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic”.
MP Jo Cox was murdered by right-wing extremist Thomas Mair (Yui Mok/PA)
Its activities and propaganda materials are particularly aimed at recruiting young people, according to the list.
The document also links National Action to the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016.
It said the group’s online propaganda material frequently features extremely violent imagery and language, and cited tweets posted in connection with her murder at the hands of right-wing extremist Thomas Mair.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd took the decision to proscribe National Action after an assessment that it was “concerned in terrorism” ahead of Mair’s trial.
Police said 22 suspected members or associates of National Action were arrested in 2016.