The London haul was said to be significantly larger than that used in Bali on October 12, 2002, when between 50kg and 150kg of the explosive compound was used. All eight suspects arrested in London were British citizens and were arrested as part of an operation targeting alleged international terrorist activity, the Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said. Dep Asst Comm Clarke said the suspects were aged between 17 and 32. He said the operation, which involved five police forces, was not connected to the Madrid train bombs earlier this month or to Irish terrorism. Dep Asst Comm Clarke gave no details of the suspects’ background or religious affiliation, but he said “we in the police service know that the overwhelming majority of the Muslim community are law abiding and completely reject all forms of violence”. Press Association, the British news agency, said all eight were of Pakistani descent, but police would not comment on the information.
