British police arrested five people in the U.K. on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism, as part of an investigation linked to the attacks in Brussels and Paris.
Three men and a 29-year-old woman were arrested in Birmingham on Thursday, reports Reuters. On Friday morning, another man was detained at London’s Gatwick airport.
Police say there was “no information to suggest an attack in the U.K. was being planned” and that they are searching several properties in Birmingham.
“This action forms part of an extensive investigation by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, together with the wider counter terrorism network, (domestic spy agency) MI5 and international partners including Belgian and French authorities to address any associated threat to the UK following the attacks in Europe,” said Chief Constable Marcus Beale from West Midlands Police.
According to the Guardian, Mohamed Abrini—who was arrested on April 9 on suspicion of involvement in the ISIS-led attack on Brussels—had visited Birmingham in July 2015. He is believed to have taken photos of a football stadium and the city’s other landmarks. Authorities believe that the same terror cell was responsible for both the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris and March 22’s suicide bombings in Brussels.
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