UK Terror: Arrests in Blackburn
How dumb would a British jihadi have to be to order a large shipment of gas canisters now? ’Gas Canister’ Pair Held In Terror Probe.
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of terror offences after they apparently tried to collect a delivery of large gas canisters at an industrial estate in Blackburn.
Lancashire Police say it is too early to say whether the arrests are connected to the attempted terror attacks in Glasgow and London. The pair, both believed to be Asian, are being held at a police station in Lancashire under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Officers swooped after the Calor gas canisters were taken to a unit on the Furthergate Industrial Estate in Birley Street.
Eyewitness Cameron Mason said: “A delivery man was waiting outside the unit to drop off around three or four large red gas canisters. Two Asian men arrived to collect them and just after they started speaking to the delivery man an unmarked police car turned up. Two policemen got out and spoke to the Asian and then a few minutes later a second unmarked police car arrived. About half an hour later the same delivery man came back and dropped off another four canisters.”
Blackburn … hmm … why does that ring a bell? Oh yes; in May we ran the following clip about Blackburn:
UPDATE at 7/3/07 9:32:29 am:
The number of doctors involved in the UK terror plots is now seven, and a eighth suspect is a lab technician. All have links with Britain’s National Health Service.
UPDATE at 7/4/07 9:48:53 am:
Several British readers emailed to let me know that the men arrested in Blackburn were not connected to the terror plots; apparently they were going to use the gas in a cannabis-growing operation.
