UK arrests 12 over threat to Islamic event

British counterterrorism police arrested 12 people over an alleged extreme right-wing terrorism threat targeting an Islamic gathering in Suffolk, prompting organisers to end the event early and thousands of attendees to leave safely.

Counter Terrorism Policing said officers acted after learning of a “potential serious threat” toward the UK Ijtima event at Shrubland Hall in Barham. The gathering, attended by about 15,000 people, was concluded earlier than planned on police advice as a precaution.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the police response to what she called a “credible threat” had “undoubtedly saved lives.”

“Twelve individuals have now been arrested,” Mahmood said. “I know this is deeply concerning news for British Muslims. We must stand against hatred and we must unite around our shared belief in a country that is open, generous and tolerant to all our communities.”

Police said the investigation is “right-wing terrorism related.” Arrests were made across the country on Sunday and Monday, with suspects ranging in age from 27 to 82. Eleven of those arrested are men and one is a woman.

Eight men were arrested and detained under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and remained in custody, the BBC reported. Three other men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, and a woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. Of those four, one person has been released on bail, while the other three remained in custody, according to the BBC. Al Jazeera reported that none of the suspects had been formally charged by the time of writing.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said officers moved quickly after the threat emerged.

“After becoming aware of a potential serious threat towards the Islamic event in Suffolk, we have moved extremely quickly to make a number of arrests in various locations across the country,” Flanagan said.

Police said searches were being carried out at addresses across the country linked to those arrested. They initially declared a major incident after learning of the possible threat, but that status has since been stood down. Counterterrorism police said there was not believed to be any wider threat to the public connected to the matter.

The arrests included five men, aged 27, 29, 55, 60 and 82, in Surrey; a 35-year-old man in Greater Manchester; two 42-year-old men in Essex; a 33-year-old man in southeast London; a 48-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man in east London; and a 27-year-old man in Ipswich.

Flanagan said police would “not hesitate to act” in response to any potential threat. “Sadly, this activity is a stark reminder that the threat level in the UK is at ‘severe’, so we urge the public to remain vigilant and report anything if it doesn’t look or feel right,” she said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X that the investigation concerned a “credible, serious threat targeted at an Islamic event in Suffolk.” He added: “Thanks to the quick action taken by police and the organisers, nobody was hurt. My message is clear: I will not tolerate any attacks on our Muslim communities, or any form of anti-Muslim hatred.”

Assistant Chief Constable Alice Scott of Suffolk Police said the force would maintain a visible presence around Shrubland Hall in the coming days. She said 15,000 attendees had “safely departed” from the event.

Ruman Muhith, a Labour member of Ipswich Borough Council who attended on Friday and Saturday, said attendees had “conducted themselves with dignity and respect.”

Al Jazeera reported that the arrests came amid rising racial tensions and hate crimes in Britain. It cited the Crown Prosecution Service as saying in January that it was handling the highest number of hate crime cases referred by police in its history, with more than 4,350 cases referred between July and September last year, a 14.7% increase from the previous quarter.