CNN Europe CNN Asia
On CNN TV Transcripts Headline News CNN International About CNN.com Preferences
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SERVICES
 
 
 
SEARCH
Web CNN.com
powered by Yahoo!
TRANSCRIPTS
Return to Transcripts main page

CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

Terror Arrests in London

Aired January 13, 2003 - 06:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to London where there have been more arrests in a terror investigation centering on the toxic poison ricin. Traces of that deadly substance were found in a London apartment last week.
CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in London with details of new arrests -- good morning.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol, late last night British anti-terrorist police raided a house about 60 miles, rather, 70 miles southwest of London in a seaside resort called Bournemouth. They arrested five men and one woman there. They have searched the premises, however, so far police say that although the operation was carried out using anti-terrorist police that although the people have been detained on anti-terrorism -- on terrorism offense -- suspected terrorism offenses, they are saying so far they have not found any chemical substances at that property.

However, today four people, who were arrested just over a week ago in connection with the discovery of ricin in a north London apartment, are being charged in court today -- in court today Bow Street magistrate court, behind me, in central London here. They are facing two charges, those four men.

Now one of the charges has never been brought against anybody in the United Kingdom before, that is an offense against the Chemical -- 1996 Chemical Weapons Act. They are being charged with development and production of chemical weapons. They are also being charged under the year 2000 Terrorism Act here that is having in possession items of value to terrorists. A fifth member of that team, we understand, will also face charges today in connection with counterfeiting -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Really turning into a major operation -- Nic.

ROBERTSON: It's not only here in Britain, these arrests last week appear to have had some connection with a tip-off from French Security Services to British Police that some of the men involved in those arrests -- some of those men arrested had in fact been in Paris, that they indeed knew members of a group arrested in Paris on terror -- on suspicion of terrorism. Those people arrested just before Christmas, so connections there.

Also, one member of the team arrested here in Britain last week suspected of having had training at an al Qaeda camp inside Afghanistan. So the connections here leading not only the -- leading the police to talk -- to terror anti-terrorist counterparts in France but also in Europe as well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live from London this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com



© 2004 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us.
external link
All external sites will open in a new browser.
CNN.com does not endorse external sites.