Alwaght- Five British Army personnel have been arrested for being members of a banned far-right terrorist group.
The arrests of five current servicemen who are members of the banned neo-Nazi group National Action is the latest event in a year in which extreme-right activism and terrorism have risen significantly around the world.
A 22-year-old from Birmingham, a 32-year-old from Powys, a 24-year-old from Ipswich and a 24-year-old from Northampton, all men, were arrested earlier this week under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of being members of a proscribed organization, West Midlands police said. The fifth 24-year-old man from Northampton was detained by Royal Military Police in Cyprus Friday and has been taken to a police station in the West Midlands.
The police force said the men had been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000, namely being members of a proscribed organization, National Action.
National Action white supremacist group, was banned as a terrorist organization in December by the home secretary.
There is concern over rise in British security forces personnel joining members of far-right terrorist groups. The English Defense League (EDL), which leads Islamophobic street protest movement has an “armed forces division” Facebook page with more than 14,000 likes. Analysis of this page suggests a number of supporters appear to be from current or former servicemen. Far-right terrorism is also spreading within armed forces of several NATO military alliance members.
The German Military Counterespionage Service is currently investigating 275 cases of suspected far-right extremism. Earlier this year two soldiers from the German army were arrested for allegedly plotting to carry out a shooting attack on leftwing politicians. In the US two of the white supremacist groups active at the recent Charlottesville march – Vanguard America and Identity Evropa – were founded by former US Marines.
