COPS experienced EIGHT near misses with late stage terror attacks last year.
The UK’s Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Matt Jukes, today revealed the shocking extent of threats to national security.
The UK’s Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Matt Jukes
The chief cop disclosed there’s currently 800 live investigations by Counter Terrorism forces.
And the level of threats from hostile states has quadrupled in just two years, taking it to an “unprecedented level”.
Despite this, 2022 was the first year since 2016 in which no one was killed or seriously injured on UK soil due to a terror attack.
“We stopped eight late stage terror plots and the reality is that a number of those we close calls,” Mr Jukes said.
“I would describe several of them as ‘goal line saves’. These are cases in which a subject in which a subject had identified their target, had or was obtaining their weapon and where we had intervened to stop that attack from taking place.”
The top cop added: “The threat feels a very enduring one. It has changed and evolved. It involves many more self initiated terrorists than it had in the past.
“This is making the threat harder to spot and making the individuals harder to stop.”
The force believes that Islamist extremism and Islamist terrorism is still the biggest threat to the UK, and officers have been warned not to take their eye off the ball.
There’s currently 15 live investigations into Iranian plots against Brits, including threats of kidnap, violence and assassination.
Mr Jukes said: “The threat projected from Iran is very much a live one.
“The aggression, intimidation and violence directed at people to punish them for their perceived opposition to a state are not going to be allowed on our watch.
“We intend to detect and interrupt those responsible.”
Away from Iran, count terrorism forces are investigating the possibility of “Chinese overseas police station”.
There have been warnings that political opponents of the Chinese Communist Party are being watched over and even policed by spies who’ve made the UK home.
“I want to be clear that attempts to set up show, attempts to act outside the international law enforcement are not acceptable and they will be stopped,” Mr Jukes said.
“We’ve got the resources to do that and we will work with government and our partners to ensure the safety of those who have made the UK their home.”
