Anti-terror police have been granted more time to question three men over an alleged Iranian spy plot to target London‘s Jewish community.
The men, referred to by police as A, C and D, were detained last Friday alongside a fourth man on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service.
The suspects, one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals were arrested at addresses in Harrow, Watford and Barnet in the early hours of March 6.
The operation is understood to be linked to the suspected surveillance of a Jewish community in London for Iranian intelligence authorities.
Police obtained a warrant for further detention for three of the men, aged 22, 40 and 52, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday, meaning they will now be able to hold them until March 20.
The fourth man, known as B, has been released without charge.
Counter-terror police have raided multiple properties during the course of their investigation, with 11 homes now having been searched.
Officers have seized a number of items including ‘various digital devices’, which are in the process of being examined.
Police check the engine and undercarriage of a silver-coloured Skoda in a road in Finchley last Friday
Met Police are pictured at a house raid in Watford last Friday believed to be linked to an investigation into Iranian spies
Six other men, aged 29, 39, 42, 49 and two aged 20, were arrested at the same location in Harrow on suspicion of assisting an offender. One of the men was further arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
All six have now been released on bail pending further enquiries.
The alleged spying operation is not believed to be directly linked to the outbreak of the Iran war, with police stressing the arrests came as part of a ‘long-running investigation’.
Scotland Yard began the probe after the ‘malign’ activities of the suspected Iranian cell aroused suspicion and a member of the Jewish community tipped off police.
The Mail understands that the cell had been under surveillance for months, but officers decided to accelerate their arrest plans due to the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
Officers believe their actions were part of a long-term plan to target the Jewish community in the capital, and were not linked to a specific plot.
But Iran’s intelligence services have long targeted Jewish and Israeli people living in Britain.
Sir Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, previously revealed the UK had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots since the start of 2022.
Speaking in October, he said: ‘Iran’s autocratic regime is frantically trying to silence its opponents around the world, including in the UK.
‘Behind the scenes, MI5 and our police partners continue to catch those who are reckless enough to become Iranian pawns.’
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terror Police said today: ‘This investigation continues at pace with a number of lines of enquiry being pursued by our detectives.
‘The warrants of further detention for these three men will allow us to continue the investigation, while mitigating any potential risk to the public as we do so.
‘This has been a long-running investigation and part of our ongoing work to disrupt malign activity where we suspect it.
‘We fully recognise that the public – and in particular the Jewish community – may be concerned but I also hope the action we have taken reassures them that we will not hesitate to take action if we think there may be a threat to their safety.
‘As ever, I would ask them to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us.’
A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity which monitors antisemitism in the UK, said at the time of the arrests: ‘Security is strong across the Jewish community.
‘CST thanks Counter Terror Policing London and will not be commenting further at this time.’