LONDON, U.K. - Not even 24 hours after arresting six terrorist suspects Thursday, the British police have arrested seven terrorism suspects Friday. Surprisingly the seven suspects were not arrested in a terrorism scare that caused authorities to close down a major highway for about seven hours, but rather in a routine inspection of a vehicle, which resulted in the discovery of a number of firearms and weapons.
The terrorism scare was ticked off by a person who mistook a person using an electronic cigarette for triggering a bomb. Seven hours later and after the counter-terrorism team along with helicopters, firefighters and paramedics were dispatched was it declared a false alarm.
On Thursday, police in London arrested six people suspected in a terrorist operation. The five men and one woman were arrested in locations close to where the Olympics will take place, however police confirm that the plots were unrelated to the major event.
The six people brought in to custody range from the age of 18 to 30 are said to be a part of an Islamist fundamentalist group that remains unnamed. Among those arrested some possessed British citizenship. The seven brought in Friday range between 22 and 27. A total of 13 terrorist suspects have been arrested in a span of less than 24 hours.
The suspects are currently being held in a prison in South East London. Police say that arrests were "significant" as it was a part of a larger on-going operation involving the MI5, the national security service.
Reports suggest that the U.K. Terrorism alert is at level "substantial" implying that there is a strong possibility of an attack.
The upcoming Olympics Games has made London a strong target for terrorists. The New York Times says that the 2012 Olympics make London "the highest-profile targets since the 2001 attacks in New York and Washington."
Head of MI5, Jonathan Evans, released a statement on the country's high terrorism level, "There is no such thing as guaranteed security," he said. "But I think we shall see successful and memorable Games," as reported by the New York Times.
