London police have announced the arrest of a 42-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service. The detentions were carried out as part of an investigation into possible offences under the National Security Act 2023.
Both suspects were arrested on Wednesday, 9 September, at their home addresses: the woman in north London and the man in the north-west of the capital. The operation was conducted by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London. They were detained on suspicion of an offence under section 3 of the National Security Act — assisting a foreign intelligence service. The country to which the investigation is linked is Iran.
The arrests followed searches on 24 June at residential addresses in north and north-west London. After the detentions, police also searched another property in the north-west of the city. The suspects were taken to a London police station and later released on bail with strict conditions until late October.
Police stressed that the investigation is not connected to incidents or attacks earlier this year targeting venues and buildings linked to Jewish and Iranian communities across London, and is not related to the upcoming Jewish High Holy Days. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said there was no imminent threat to the wider public. She added that over the past year there had been a marked increase in work linked to national security and state threats, and that this investigation was a continuation of that effort. “If we suspect any activity could threaten the safety of the UK or the public, then we will not hesitate to take action,” she said.
The names of those arrested have not been released. The investigation continues.
