Officers investigating hate crime and terrorism offences linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas have made a number of arrests.
A 37-year-old man was arrested at an address in west London on Friday, 17 November following an investigation into Hamas-related online posts.
He was arrested on suspicion of encouraging terrorism (Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006), and showing support for a proscribed organisation (Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000).
This follows a report made to police in late October about posts on social media which appeared to be supportive of Hamas and the attacks in Israel on 7 October.
An investigation was launched by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command after the content was assessed by the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU).
The arrested man was taken into custody at a south London police station from where he was later bailed.
Detective Chief Superintendent Gareth Rees, Head of Operations in the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We continue to make arrests as part of our ongoing investigations into real-world and online offending linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We are clear that where we identify anyone involved with or committing potential terrorism offences, then they will be investigated, and we will take the necessary action.”
Across the Met, police officers in communities are working not only to provide visible reassurance but to investigate allegations of hate crime and related offences.
In recent days, this activity has led to a number of arrests.
– In the early hours of Friday, 17 November, local officers were on patrol in Brixton Hill, Lambeth when they saw a 21-year-old man spraying pro-Palestinian graffiti on the shutters of a shop.
He was arrested following a foot chase. Following a search he was further arrested for possession of cannabis and theft by finding.
He was taken to custody and later bailed.
– A 22-year-old man has been bailed on suspicion of making threats to kill following an incident in Haringey.
On Wednesday, 15 November at around 18:08hrs police received reports of a man spitting and shouting anti-Semitic slurs at Jewish members of the public in a shop on High Road, Stamford Hill.
He is alleged to have made threats to kill those present while expressing support for the Palestinian cause.
Officers responded and the man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and committing a racially aggravated Public Order Act offence.
When the man was in police custody, he was further arrested for racist and homophobic remarks made towards an officer.
He has since been bailed pending further enquiries.
– A man has been charged following an incident in custody where he is allegedly racially abused police detention officers.
Louis Lillington, 49 (13.08.74) of Ballard Lane, Finchley was charged on Tuesday, 14 November with a racially aggravated Public Order Act offence in relation to allegations he shouted Islamophobic and other racist abuse at the detention officers on duty while he was being held in custody in Colindale. He was also charged with causing actual bodily harm (ABH) and criminal damage.
He was remanded in custody and appeared at North West London Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 14 November where he was bailed.
He will next appear at the same court on Tuesday, 5 December.
– On Friday, 17 November a 31-year-old woman was interviewed under caution by officers from the Met’s Public Order Crime Team as part of an investigation into a placard carried at a protest.
Officers were on duty in Whitehall on Saturday, 4 November when their attention was drawn to a woman who was carrying a placard which included language connected to Nazism.
She was stopped and her details were taken and confirmed. The placard was seized and she was interviewed, on Friday, as part of the ongoing investigation.
Since the terrorist attacks of 7 October, officers have made 386 arrests for related offences.
253 of these have been during protests or other public gatherings, 125 have been in communities and were mostly related to hate crime and eight were as part of ongoing counter terrorism investigations.
Officers continue to appeal for the public’s help to identify a number of outstanding suspects. Details of the latest round of appeals can be found online with others regularly shared on X/Twitter.
If you have any information that can help officers, please call 101 or, to remain anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
