Five unnamed men were arrested in the U.K. on terrorism charges after police raided homes in Luton, according to reports.
The men, aged 21 to 35, are being held “on suspicion of the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism,” a spokesperson with police told the London Evening Standard.
The suspects are believed to have been part of a terrorist conspiracy but had no attacks planned in the near future, the newspaper reported.
“The arrests were part of a preplanned, intelligence-led operation. All five were taken to the high-security Paddington Green police station this morning for questioning,” reads a statement from Scotland Yard quoted by the Standard.
The arrests were carried out by unarmed officers, AFP reported. “Full consideration has been given to treating those arrested, and especially their families, with appropriate respect for cultural and religious identity as far as is possible,” a spokesperson said.
The homes where the men were arrested will be searched over the next day and families affected were told to find other places to stay, the news agency said.
Police sources told the Standard that the arrests are most likely not in connection with the deportation of radical cleric Abu Qatada to Jordan.
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