Radical preacher Anjem Choudary arrested in dawn raid

RADICAL preacher Anjem Choudary was arrested at his east London home as part of a police investigation into suspected terrorism offences, reported The Telegraph.

The country's most prominent Islamic preacher, Choudary, 56, was arrested in a dawn raid on Monday (17), the report added.

Counter terrorism detectives also arrested a second man at Heathrow airport who had just landed in the country from Canada.

According to the report, they were held on suspicion of being members of a banned organisation in contravention of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Police conducted searches of three addresses in east London and the two men remained in custody.

“Counter terrorism detectives have arrested two men as part of an investigation into suspected terrorism offences. The officers arrested a 56-year-old man from east London in the area at approximately 05.40hrs this morning, Monday, 17 July," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

“They arrested a 28-year-old Canadian national at Heathrow airport at approximately 12.35hrs, after he arrived on a flight from Canada. Both were arrested on suspicion of membership of a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000 [and] are currently being held under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, at a west London police station.

“Police searches of three addresses in east London are ongoing.”

In January, Choudary in a blog post condemned the Duke of Sussex for his admission he had killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving in Afghanistan.

At the time, Tory MP Tobias Ellwood alleged that Choudary was using Prince Harry’s admissions to 'ratchet up hate'.

Choudary, a lawyer by training, was convicted in 2016 of one terror charge of inviting support for the Daesh (Islamic State group) and given a five and a half year jail term. He had denied any wrongdoing.

He was released in 2018 on strict licensing terms that prevented him speaking in public on sensitive matters or even talking to journalists. Those restrictions were lifted in 2021.

Choudary led several extremist groups, including al-Muhajiroun, which were banned under counterterrorism laws enacted after the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and the July 7, 2005 bombings in London.

Several terrorists who were convicted in the UK, including those responsible for the murder of off-duty soldier Lee Rigby, had affiliations with either al-Muhajiroun or its affiliated organisations.