Two further arrests have been made in relation to an alleged conspiracy of an arson attack on a site connected to the Jewish community, the Metropolitan police have said.
The latest arrests, made by counter-terrorism police investigating the alleged arson conspiracy, were of a 19-year-old man and a 26-year-old man. They were detained in Watford on Tuesday and remain in custody.
Nine people have now been detained in relation to the same alleged arson conspiracy in the last three days.
The seven arrested have been released on bail, with strict conditions. These include three men arrested in Harpenden on 19 April aged 24, 26 and 26. A 25-year-old man was also arrested in Stevenage. A 26-year-old man and two women aged 50 and 59 were detained in a car near Birmingham on Monday in connection with the alleged conspiracy.
Separately, a teenager pleaded guilty on Tuesday to an arson attack on a synagogue on Saturday night.
The two new people arrested are suspected of being involved in planning an arson attack at an unknown venue related to the Jewish community.
The senior national coordinator of counter-terrorism policing, Vicki Evans, said: “Our investigations continue at pace, and we are continuing to identify and arrest suspects who we believe were involved [in], or planning, the recent arson attacks in north-west London.
“We’ve now had the first conviction in relation to this recent spate of arson attacks and seven others have been charged. We remain determined to identify, arrest and charge all those who have been involved in the recent criminal activity.
“My message to anyone even considering getting involved in this type of activity is this: the stakes are high and it is absolutely not worth the risk.”
The arrests by counter-terrorism officers follow firebombings or attempted arson of synagogues and other Jewish targets across London.
These attacks started on 23 March, when ambulances run by a Jewish charity were set alight in Golders Green, north London. Then in April, there were attacks or attempted attacks on a charity, synagogues, and an Iranian dissident media outlet.
Additional reporting by PA Media
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