Teenager Quizzed Over Terror Bomb Plot – UK
April 18, 2008 by national
Filed under Stories of Interest
A British teenager believed to be a Muslim convert was being questioned today over a suspected terrorist bomb plot.
The 19-year-old was being probed about the “significant” amount of alleged bomb-making materials found in his Bristol home.
Around 30 people were evacuated from houses in Westbury-on-Trym early this morning when bomb squad officers used a robot to carry out a controlled explosion at the suspect’s property in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac .
Avon and Somerset Police acted on intelligence received “less than 24 hours” before the explosion, a spokesman said.
Working with counter-terrorism officers from Scotland Yard, the Police set up a covert operation yesterday to monitor the 19-year-old .
They arrested the teenager in Bristol city center before obtaining a warrant to search his house. A quantity of material was removed from the building at about 2am, before the controlled explosion.
“We believe that this individual did pose a risk and had the ability to cause serious harm,” a police spokesman said. “That’s why the actions were undertaken so rapidly. There was an imminent threat.”
Neighbors said they heard a loud blast like a gas boiler blowing up. They received letters from the police telling them that the arrest was made in connection with a “potentially serious criminal matter.”
