A man and woman have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit child abuse during a police operation to clamp down on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Operation Limelight targeted “at risk” flights returning from countries associated with FGM and intercepted families as they arrived at Heathrow Airport.
The 33-year-old woman from Milton-Keynes and 26-year-old man from south east London were travelling with an 11-year-old girl who was taken into police protection.
Both adults were taken to a central London police station.
The police operation was part of a national week of awareness about FGM – a cultural practice also known as “female circumcision” which involves cutting young girls’ genitals to “protect” girls from sexual advances.
It is illegal in the UK under the Female Genital mutilation Act 2003.
Flights from Abuja, Sierra Leone and Lagos were targeted and police and border officers interviewed 49 families.
Parents and children were questioned about their understanding of FGM and the reason for their travels and girls were given leaflets about the health and legal risks of “cutting”.
Of the 49 families, 27 were not aware that FGM is illegal in the UK.
They were also warned about the horrific practice of breast ironing, a process that involves the pummelling of young girls' breasts to crush the glands and stop them from growing.
A Met Police spokeswoman said: “A 33-year-old woman from Milton Keynes and a 26-year-old man from South east London were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit child cruelty.
“They were taken to a central London police station. The 11-year-old girl travelling with them was taken into police protection.
"Police enquiries are ongoing.”
