Muslim converts who 'plotted to attack Olympic canoeing venue' arrested after police see them acting suspiciously in a dinghy

Two Muslim converts have been arrested on suspicion of plotting an attack on the London Olympic canoeing venue after police spotted them on a dinghy nearby. 

An 18-year-old and a 32-year-old were detained after dawn raids were carried out at separate addresses in east London by officers acting on a tip-off.

Sources said the arrests were made after the men were seen acting suspiciously close to the venue in Waltham Abbey, Hertfordshire, on Monday. 

Target? The Lea Valley White Water Centre near Waltham Abbey, was specially built for the 2012 Olympic canoe slalom

Up to 30 police officers began combing the banks after three men were seen in a dinghy on the Lea.

A friend of the arrested men named the 18-year old as Jamal un-Din and said the older man was known as 'Zakariya'.

Mizanur Rahman, 29, said the arrests 'might have had something to do with the fact that they recently went canoeing' on the River Lee, a branch of which runs through the Olympic site in east London.

He said the pair also recently went shooting with an air rifle in Essex, a largely suburban and rural county east of London. 

Rahman said he saw nothing amiss with the activities.

'It's just people trying to get into the Olympic spirit,' he said, adding that he believed authorities would try 'painting it as jihad training'.

The men were held under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and being held at a central London police station.

Residents living in the Hazlemere marina, near the Olympic canoeing venue, reported that a significant police operation had been launched after several men were seen behaving suspiciously on Monday night.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'We can confirm that inquires were carried out by Hertfordshire police who have been liaising with Met police counter-terrorism command.'

The terror level for the Olympics currently substantial - indicating that an attack is a strong possibility.

The arrests come just under a month before the start of the Games, which open in London on July 27.

In one of the biggest vetting operations in 70 years, the backgrounds of half-a-million people have been screened amid concerns the Games remain threatened by terrorism. 

While intelligence officials have recently reported an increase in chatter among extremist groups but have said there was no specific or credible threat targeting the Olympic Games.

The main Olympic Park will be protected by the biggest peacetime security operation ever seen in Britain.

While the security service is reported to to be braced for a potential deluge of information from foreign police forces and intelligence agencies.

OLYMPIC BOMBER A FOLLOWER OF DEVOUT IMAM ANJEM CHOUDHARY

 

The ginger-headed chap in The Telegraph is one of Anjem Choudhary's devout followers; this hasn't been mentioned in the media. An eagle-eyed UK Atlas reader pointed it out.

18-year-old as Jamal ud-Din is understood to be one of the arrested men.

Here is the jihadist putting up Sharia Zoning stickers in East London -- which Anjem Choudhary planned.....

London 2012 Olympics: Muslim converts held over 'Games plot' Telegraph

Two Muslim converts have been arrested in East London on suspicion of plotting an attack against the London 2012 Olympic Games canoeing venue.

 18-year-old as Jamal ud-Din is understood to be one of the arrested men. (They are all so devilishly handsome, ever notice that?)  By Duncan Gardham and Andrew Hough

Sources told The Daily Telegraph that the arrests were based on a tip-off after men were seen behaving suspiciously close to the venue in Waltham Abbey, Hertfordshire on Monday.

Hertfordshire police officers began combing the banks after three men were seen in a dinghy on the River Lea.

The two men, aged 18 and 32, were arrested at separate residential addresses in east London, by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command, at 7am on Thursday.

They were detained under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and held at a central London police station. Officers were last night searching two addresses in East London.

A friend of the arrested men named the 18-year-old as Jamal ud-Din and said the older man was someone he knew only as “Zakariya.”

Mizanur Rahman, 29, said the arrests “might have had something to do with the fact that they recently went canoeing” on the River Lea, a branch of which runs through the Olympic site in east London.

“It’s just people trying to get into the Olympic spirit,” he told the Associated Press but added he believed the authorities would try “painting it as jihad training.”

thanks to atlas shrugs