Two teenagers are set to appear in court this Friday, facing charges connected to alleged extreme right-wing terrorism, as announced by the Metropolitan Police.
The arrests, conducted by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, are said to be independent of recent disturbances across the nation triggered by the stabbings in Southport.
According to a statement released by the Metropolitan Police on Thursday evening, the charges stem from activities linked to extreme right-wing terrorism.
Rex Clark, an 18-year-old from Ilford, East London, faces charges under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act (TACT) 2006 for preparing terrorist acts.
Sofija Vinogradova, 19, from Cheshunt, is similarly charged with preparing terrorist acts, alongside two additional counts of gathering information useful to someone planning or committing an act of terrorism.
Commander Dominic Murphy, leading the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, emphasized the gravity of the charges but cautioned against public speculation to allow the justice process to proceed smoothly.
He affirmed that there is no broader threat associated with this case, although the investigation is ongoing. Murphy clarified that their inquiry is not related to the unrest that followed the Southport incidents.
The investigation initially saw the arrest of Vinogradova on August 4, on suspicions involving firearm possession and collecting potentially useful information for terrorism.
After a search at her residence and a subsequent release on bail, she was re-arrested on August 10 at the same location where Clark was also taken into custody. Searches were also extended to another address in Ilford.
Following extended detention approved until August 17, and further consultations with the Crown Prosecution Service, both suspects were charged and are now held in custody until their upcoming court appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
