adminANKARA. — Three male British teenagers have been arrested after being stopped in the Turkish city of Istanbul while attempting to reach Syria to join ISIS, according to police.
The Metropolitan police confirmed yesterday that Turkish officials stopped two 17-year-old boys from north-west London after being tipped off by British officers.
They were with a 19-year-old man and all three were on their way to Syria.
The three were brought back to the UK late on Saturday night and were arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks. They remain in police custody at a central London police station.
The two younger teens were reported missing on Friday. Officers from the Met’s SO15 counter-terrorism unit alerted the Turkish authorities, who stopped the trio and prevented them from travelling into Syria. The families of the three teenagers have been told.
The Met said: “On Friday, 13 March officers from the CTC were made aware that two 17-year-old boys from north-west London had gone missing and were believed to be travelling to Syria. Enquiries revealed that they had travelled with a third male aged 19.
“Officers alerted the Turkish authorities who were able to intercept all three males, preventing travel to Syria.
“On Saturday, 14 March the three males returned to the UK and at approx 23.10 [GMT] were arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
“All three have been taken to a central London police station, where they remain in custody.”
Turkish authorities have been under increased pressure to intercept British nationals travelling through Turkey in order to join Isis fighters in Syria, after three British teenage girls fled their families in east London to join the terrorist organisation and were pictured apparently crossing the border. — The Guardian.
Online Reporter