A British Police officer has been arrested on suspicion of a terrorism offence, Counter Terrorism Policing South West has said. The Gloucestershire Police constable, in his 30s, was apprehended at a property in Gloucester under suspicion of providing support for the proscribed organisation Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah, also known as Hamas.
The group was labbeled a banned terror group in the UK by former Home Secretary and current Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel in 2021, and the officer was arrested under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Following his arrest, he was taken to a police custody unit outside of the Gloucestershire area. Specialist officers are currently conducting several searches related to this investigation, including a vehicle and an address in Gloucester.
Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson said: “The arrest of a serving officer on suspicion of such a serious offence will no doubt cause our communities concern, as it does everyone who works for Gloucestershire Police.
“It’s important to note the suspected support relates to activity online and the searches taking place are predominately to locate digital devices for analysis. The arrest has been made to allow for a prompt and effective investigation to take place and we must not draw any conclusions at this stage.”
A government spokesman said, when the group was proscribed: “The Islamist terrorist group Hamas has become a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK in its entirety, following Parliament’s approval of an Order. This means that members of Hamas or those who invite support for the group could be jailed for up to 14 years.”
When proscribing it, Patel said: “Hamas has significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry as well as terrorist training facilities, and it has long been involved in significant terrorist violence.
“Hamas commits, participates, prepares for and promotes and encourages terrorism. If we tolerate extremism, it will erode the rock of security.”
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