02/05/2007

Thirty-two arrests in animal extremism raids

Police have arrested a total of 32 people in a series of raids targeting animal rights extremists in the UK and Europe.

In the UK, raids took place in Glasgow, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Greater London, Merseyside, Worcestershire, Lancashire, Northumbria, Yorkshire, South Wales, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Two addresses were also searched in the Netherlands and one in Belgium, although no arrests were made there.

Police are continuing to question seventeen people. Fourteen others have been released on bail and one men has been released without charge.

The raids, which involved more than 700 police officers, followed a two-year investigation into an alleged campaign of extremism targeted a number of organisations and individuals, including Huntingdon Life Sciences in Cambridgeshire.

Cash amounting to £100,000, mobile phones, computer equipment and documents were seized during the raids.

Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Leppard, from Kent Police, said: "It is one of the largest, if not the largest police operation, that has targeted animal extremism in the UK."

He said that animal rights extremists had conducted "sustained campaigns of harassment and intimidation against the animal research industry".

Mr Leppard said that the alleged offences included burglary and conspiracy to blackmail.

(KMcA/SP)

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