Man Arrested Over Pro-Hamas Online Posts in South West London
Police swooped on a 47-year-old man in south west London on Tuesday, 14 May, suspecting him of supporting Hamas, a banned terrorist group. The arrest followed a public referral made on Monday, 29 April, about social media posts allegedly backing the organisation.
Counter Terrorism Unit Launches Investigation
The case was handed over to the national Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU), who assessed the posts before passing it to the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command for action. Officers searched the man’s home as part of the ongoing probe.
Man Released on Bail as Enquiry Continues
The suspect was released on bail, due back in early August. Police stress that every referral is thoroughly examined and will lead to arrests if evidence of terrorism offences emerges.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Since the heinous attacks in Israel last October, we have seen a surge in extremist content referred by the public. We act swiftly to identify and bring offenders to justice when UK terrorism laws are broken.”
Stay Vigilant: How to Report Extremist Content
The CTIRU is dedicated to rooting out terrorist material online, working with service providers to remove harmful content. Concerned members of the public are urged to report extremist or terrorist material online to help keep communities safe.
