Tube bombing suspects lived at ‘halfway house’
THE TWO latest men to be arrested over the Parsons Green bombing lived in what was described by neighbours as a “halfway house” for asylum seekers in South Wales.
The pair, aged 30 and 48, were detained during a raid by counter-terrorism officers at a home in Newport early yesterday morning.
A third man, 25, who was arrested at a separate address in Newport shortly after 7pm on Tuesday, and two other suspects detained on Saturday remain in custody, taking the total number of arrests to five.
Searches are being carried out at four addresses, with Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met Counter Terrorism Command, describing them as being likely to take “some days to complete”.
The two latest men to be detained are believed to have lived in West Street, close to the city centre.
One local businessman, who did not wish to be named, said: “It’s apparently a halfway house for the Home Office.
“The people that live there don’t come from around here. I don’t think they’ve been there for long.”
CCTV images from a local taxi company, Town Taxis Newport, show police arriving on West Street at 5.10am.
In the footage, a marked police van drives into the residential street with three marked police cars and four unmarked cars.
Officers are seen walking into West Street from further vehicles parked on adjacent streets.
Witnesses to the arrest in Newport on Tuesday described officers “jumping” a man who was then bundled into a police car and driven away.
Nearby resident Sully Ali, 19, a part-time model, told the Press Association: “A big van pulled up and six officers got out and jumped this guy.
“There were two armed officers there, they didn’t have their guns pointed at him but they had them on show. The guy was smiling.”
Friday morning’s bomb attack on a London Underground train left 30 people injured. The device failed to explode properly and the injured suffered burns. It is believed that the bomb had to potential to cause fatalities.
The latest raids were carried out by the Met Counter Terrorism Command, assisted by Gwent Police and the Welsh Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit.
Mr Haydon said: “This continues to be a fast-moving investigation.
“A significant amount of activity has taken place since the attack on Friday.
“We now have five men in custody and searches are continuing at four addresses.
“Detectives are carrying out extensive inquiries to determine the full facts behind the attack.”