The Hindu : One of 12 suspects arrested in UK over al-Qaeda plot freed

One of 12 suspects arrested in UK over al-Qaeda plot freed

April 12, 2009

London (PTI): One of the 12 suspects arrested by the British police over a "very big terrorist plot" linked to al-Qaeda has been released as police quizzed the remaining detainees, most of them Pakistanis.

The 12, including 11 Pakistanis, were arrested in raids across northern England on Wednesday last after a covert surveillance operation against al-Qaeda suspects in Britain was inadvertently revealed by top counter-terrorism expert Bob Quick, who was then forced to resign as Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Police have released one of the 12 detained persons, the media here reported, adding that the others were still being grilled.

Soon after the arrest of the suspects, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had said that they were held over "a very big terrorist plot".

He also took up the issue of the arrest of the 11 Pakistanis with President Asif Ali Zardari.