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Atomwaffen Division proscribed as a terrorist group

The white supremacist group, Atomwaffen Division, has become a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, following an Order, which was laid in Parliament on 19 April, coming into force.

his means that members of Atomwaffen Division or those who invite support for the group could be jailed for up to 10 years. The group and its alias have now been added to the list of proscribed organisations.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said:  “Today we have seen the white supremacist group, Atomwaffen Division, who also use the alias National Socialist Order, proscribed by parliament.  I have previously warned  that right wing terrorism (RWT) is the fastest growing terror threat in the UK, and today’s proscription is a positive step in the fight against this insidious and hateful ideology.

“The overriding threat to the UK remains from Daesh-inspired groups and individuals, but the threat we face from RWT is very real – proven by the fact that nearly a third of the plots foiled by police and security services since 2017 relate to right wing ideology.

“Groups like this spread their poisonous propaganda online and we will take action against anyone who attempts to draw vulnerable people down a path towards extremist and violence – too often recently we have seen young people in the UK jailed after being lured down that path by what they consume online.”

“Alongside our partners in the security services, our world class counter terrorism network has become adept at identifying and disrupting these groups. We will continue to use every power at our disposal to arrest and charge those who support this group and those like it, but we can only hope to defeat this vile ideology by stopping young and vulnerable people from following the path towards extremism in the first place.”

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