Detectives from the U.K. Metropolitan (Met) Police’s Counter Terrorism Command arrested a 21-year-old police constable in London on March 5. He was taken to a police station, and has subsequently been released on police bail until a date in late March pending further enquiries.
The arrest relates to suspected membership of a proscribed organization linked to right wing terrorism.
Officers also carried out searches at an address in London, which are now complete. The officer has been suspended from duties and the matter has also been referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct as a mandatory referral.
Detective Superintendent Ella Marriott, Acting Commander for the North Area Basic Command Unit (BCU), where the officer was based, said:
“This is an allegation of a serious offence and rightly the Met Police has taken action. The very fact that he has been arrested and a criminal investigation launched shows how seriously the Met takes this sort of allegation against an officer and the North Area BCU will continue to work with the Counter Terrorism Command to support their investigation.
“Integrity is fundamental to policing and any officer who displays extremist behaviors or associations should rightly expect to be investigated. The Met, and indeed the public, does not accept this and we will not hesitate to take the necessary and robust action to deal with it.
“Equally, whilst these are very serious allegations, at this time they are just that – allegations. The investigation team will now need the time and space to continue with their enquiries and it would be both wrong and unhelpful to speculate, at this time, on what the outcome of the investigation may be.”
