Eleven people were arrested in connection with a spate of anti-Jewish, Israeli, and Iranian dissident arson attacks in London over the last 48 hours, including seven plotting to commit a new attack, the Metropolitan Police said Tuesday, raising the total arrested for the series of incidents since March to 23 people.
The specific target of the new arson conspiracy was not known, but it was believed that a Jewish site was their objective. Men aged 24, 25, and 26 were arrested in Harpenden on Sunday night. They were released on bail. On Monday, another 25-year-old man was arrested in Stevenage, and near Birmingham, a 26-year-old man, and two women, aged 50 and 59, were arrested. All those arrested on Monday remained in custody by noon Tuesday.
A thirty-nine-year-old man was arrested under the 2000 Terrorism Act on Tuesday in relation to a Friday incident in which jars of powdered substance were discovered in the Kensington Gardens area. Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), a suspected Iranian front group that has claimed responsibility for most of the arson attacks over the last few weeks, had also claimed to have used drones to drop hazardous materials at the Israeli embassy. The substances in the jars were not found to pose any hazard to the public.
The Community Security Trust said on X that the most recent announcement underlined "the seriousness of the threats facing our community and why robust security measures remain in place."
The Metropolitan Police announced separately on Tuesday that a third teenager was charged on Monday for arson against a London synagogue, following the Sunday arrest of two other suspects.
A third teenager was charged with arson against a London synagogue on Monday following the Sunday arrest of two other suspects, the Metropolitan Police announced separately on Tuesday.
The 17-year-old British national from Brent is to be remanded in custody and will appear at the Westminster Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, accused of involvement in the Sunday firebombing of the Kenton United synagogue. The arson caused minor smoke damage to a room, but no injuries were reported.
Another 17-year-old and a 19-year-old were arrested in North West London late on Sunday, the latter of whom was bailed pending further inquiries.
Eight of the twenty-three people arrested so far in relation to the arsons and attacks have been charged, while 13 others remain in custody or on bail but under investigation.
Iran's involvement is still a high possibility
Following the Met's statements on Sunday that it was considering whether the Islamic Regime was employing criminals as proxies, Senior National Coordinator of Counter Terrorism Policing Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans reiterated on Tuesday that investigations were focusing on the suspicion.
"One of our key lines of inquiry is whether criminal proxies – that is to say, people being paid money to carry out a crime- are being used to commit any of these arsons," said Evans. “While our investigations into this are still ongoing, my message to anyone even considering getting involved in this type of activity is this: the stakes are high, and it is absolutely not worth the risk.
United Synagogue President Saul Taylor said in a statement on Monday that the attack on one of the organization's communities was deeply saddening, but the congregation would not be intimidated from returning to their synagogue.
UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said on X on Sunday that the Kenton incident was part of a "sustained campaign" against the Jewish community in the UK.
Attacks began with the March 23 arson of four Hatzola ambulances in the Golders Green area. Three people, Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, and a 17-year-old boy, were previously charged with the crime, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced on Friday that a fourth person, 18-year-old Judex Atshatshi, had been charged as well.
A building that was once the premises of a Jewish group, still with the organization's name on the window, was the target of a Friday arson attempt. Three bottles containing accelerants were placed next to a building and set alight. The bottles failed to fully ignite, but minor damage was caused to the shopfront.
Three people were charged on Thursday for an attempted arson against the Iran International office on Wednesday. Twenty-one-year-old Oisin McGuiness, 19-year-old Nathan Dunn, and a 16-year-old boy were charged with arson after they had thrown a burning container into the car park of the news outlet. The fire died out on its own.
The same day as the attack on Iran International, two other people were arrested for a predawn Wednesday arson attempt against the Finchley Reform Synagogue. The 47-year-old woman and 46-year-old man had placed bottles with accelerant next to the synagogue and threw a brick at the alleged firebomb.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said in a House speech on Monday that "attacks on British Jews are an attack on all of us, and we will do whatever it takes to stop the cowards and thugs who seek to intimidate our Jewish communities."