British police investigating possible Finnish connections of terror suspects
Three men arrested before boarding flight to Finland
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British police are investigating the possible links with Finland of three men who are in custody on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks.
Two of the Blackburn natives were arrested at Manchester airport last week where they had tickets to a flight to Helsinki. Amanda Coleman, spokeswoman of the Greater Manchester Police, says that Finland was to be the final destination, and not a transit point for the two, and that the police now want to know the reason for the trip.
British police are investigating possible links that the three suspects, aged 21, 22, and 23, might have with Islamist militants in the Nordic Countries.
Helsingin Sanomat has learned that the three were all born in Britain to a Pakistani family.
British police have travelled to Finland as part of the investigation. Assisting them are the Finnish Security Police (SUPO) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The suspects are believed to have issued death threats against British Prime Minister Gordon Borwn on a hard-line Muslim website. They are also suspected of having threatened the life of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. However, Coleman says that the police do not know if they were planning any actual violence.
The threats were reportedly made in January this year, and were linked with a demand for the release of two Muslim prisoners. They were made in the name of Omar Rabie Khalaila, the leader of Al-Qaida in Britain.
British police believe that the person who actually issued the threat is one of the three young men who were arrested.
The three were arrested a week ago Thursday. Police have until Thursday this week to press charges, ask for a continuance of their detention, or release them.
Police sources quoted by The Times said that it is not known if the men were actually planning any terrorist attacks.
NBI Chief inspector Tero Haapala confirms that British police have requested assistance form Finland.
Finnish police are not giving out any more information on the investigations or the suspects, because the investigation itself, and giving out information about it, is the business of the British, Haapala says.
SUPO head of communications Liinu Lehto-Seljavaara says that the case under investigation is not so serious that it would require a re-evaluation of the terrorist threat level.
In its annual report from last year, SUPO said that free movement within the EU could channel terrorist activities to countries where the activities are believed to be easiest to carry out.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 25.8.2008 - TODAY |
 British police investigating possible Finnish connections of terror suspects |
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