National Action: Eleven arrested during UK-wide probe into far-right group

Far-right group: National Action
National Action
John Dunne @jhdunne27 September 2017
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Eleven men were arrested today by counter-terrorism officers as part of an investigation into the banned far-right group National Action.

The men were arrested across the country on suspicion of offences including preparing terrorist acts, being members of a banned organisation and possession of terrorism documents.

The neo-Nazi group became the first far-right organisation to be outlawed in the UK last year after the murder of the MP Jo Cox, whose killing it had praised.

Earlier this month, three men including two soldiers appeared in court charged with being members of National Action. Police said the men held in the latest arrests were part of the same investigation.

Six of the arrested men were from the north-west of England, while two were from the South Wales. Another two were from West Yorkshire and one was from Wiltshire.

Their ages range from 22 to 35.

“Today’s arrests are part of coordinated action by the national Counter Terrorism network and UK policing,” said Det. Chief Supt. Martin Snowden, the head of counter-terrorism policing in north-east England.

“Those who promote extreme right wing views are looking to divide our communities and spread hatred. This will not be tolerated and those who do so must be brought to justice.”

Last month, a senior police chief said the number of referrals to the authorities about suspected right-wing extremists had doubled since the murder of Ms Cox, who was killed in June last year by a loner-obsessed with Nazis and white supremacist ideology.

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