Man Arrested Over Pro-Hamas Online Posts in South West London
Police swooped on Tuesday, 14 May, arresting a 47-year-old man in south west London. He’s suspected of showing support for Hamas, a banned terrorist group. The arrest follows a public tip-off about extremist online posts.
Counter Terrorism Command Takes Charge
The online posts were first flagged on 29 April and handed to the national Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU), a specialist Met unit dealing with terrorist content online. Detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command then launched a full investigation.
Police also searched an address in south west London linked to the suspect as part of their inquiries.
Man Released on Bail, Probe Continues
After questioning, the man was released on bail with a return date set for early August. Police say investigations are ongoing.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:
“Since the horrific attacks in Israel last October, and throughout the ongoing conflict, we’ve seen a sharp rise in extremist and terrorist material reported by the public.Every referral is carefully assessed. Where UK terrorism offences may have occurred, we act swiftly — investigating, identifying, and arresting those responsible to bring them to justice.”
Spot Extremist Content? Report It Online
The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit works with internet providers to remove terrorist material and investigates any content breaking UK law.
If you spot suspicious extremist or terrorist content online, report it immediately here.
