JURIST - Paper Chase: British judge allows extended detentions of airplanes plot suspects without charge

[JURIST] A British judge Wednesday night gave Scotland Yard [website] five to seven more days to question and hold without charge 23 men currently in custody in connection with an alleged plot to bomb US planes leaving the UK for US destinations [JURIST report; BBC Q&A]. Detectives may now question 21 of the suspects until August 23 and two of the suspects until August 21. The Terrorism Act of 2006 [text, PDF] allows police to hold someone suspected of terrorist activity without charge for a maximum of 28 days from arrest.

A total of 24 men were arrested during raids on properties in London, High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, and Birmingham early last Thursday. One of those men was released without charge [JURIST report] Friday, but police arrested another man [JURIST report] in the Thames Valley area Tuesday. He was not involved in Wednesday's custody hearing. In connection with the investigation police have executed a total of 46 property searches, 22 of which remain ongoing, Scotland Yard said Tuesday. Nineteen of the named suspects [list] have had their assets frozen by the Bank of England [corporate website]. BBC News has more.

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