UK terror police arrest 3 men over alleged neo-Nazi links

London: The UK's counter-terrorism officials on Thursday arrested three men on suspicion of terrorism offences linked with a far-right neo-Nazi group.

Officers stormed the homes of a 17-year-old boy from London, a 21-year-old man from southwestern town of Bath and an 18-year-old man from Portsmouth early on Thursday morning as part of pre-planned raids by the North East Counter Terrorism Unit.

The suspects are being interviewed by police as four properties in Bath, Leeds, London and Portsmouth continue to be searched.

"The arrests were pre-planned and part of an ongoing investigation into extreme right-wing activity," said a spokesperson for the North East Counter Terrorism Unit.

The 21-year-old was arrested on suspicion of possessing material useful to someone preparing an act of terrorism and conspiracy to inspire racial or religious hatred. The 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of encouraging terrorism, dissemination of terrorist publications, and conspiracy to inspire racial or religious hatred.

The 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of encouraging terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications.

Britain's counter-terrorism chiefs have repeatedly warned against the rising threat of far-right terrorism activity in the country.

Latest UK Home Office figures released in September indicated a growing threat from far-right extremism in the country, as a total of 351 arrests were made over the past year until June 2018 where terrorism-related activity was suspected, with 133 of them white and 129 recorded as Asian ethnic appearance.

"This was the first time, since the year ending June 2005, that the proportion of white people arrested has exceeded the proportion of Asian people arrested," a Home Office statement had noted.