Four men released as part of a counter terror investigation

Five men, who were arrested on 3rd May 2025, have been released from custody following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation.

On 3rd May, five men, all Iranian nationals, were arrested at addresses in London, Swindon and Manchester. The men were between 24 and 46 years of age and arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, contrary to section Five of the Terrorism Act (TACT), 2006.

Four of these men were detailed under TACT and after obtaining various warrants of further detection, were released from custody on 17th May.

The fifth man, a 2-4 year old arrested in Manchester, was detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), and was released on bail, with conditions, to a date in May.

The arrests were part of a pre-planned operation, and officers continue to carry out searches at a number of addresses in the Greater Manchester, London, Swindon, and High Wycombe areas.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We made these arrests due to concerns about a suspected plot to target a specific premises. Since those arrests, detectives have been working to assess all the evidence we’ve gathered and to question the men.

“They are now being released from custody but our investigation remains active and is ongoing.

“We are working very closely with the premises we identified as the suspected target of the alleged plot, and we continue to provide them with support. This has been, and continues to be, a highly complex investigation, and we will not hesitate to take further action if we believe there is any imminent threat to the public.

“I would like to thank the public for their support and understanding — particularly in areas and communities across the UK who have felt the direct impact of our activity.

“I’d like to ask people to remain vigilant and contact us if anything doesn’t look or feel right. Information from the public is crucial to our work.”