Two men arrested in neo-Nazi army probe released without charge

Two men arrested as part of an investigation into banned neo-Nazi group National Action have been released without charge, police said.

Five men, including four serving soldiers, were held on suspicion of terror offences last week.

Three suspects, including a 24-year-old arrested in Cyprus who is understood to be a member of the Royal Anglian Regiment, remain in custody.

Detectives have granted extra time to interview him along with a 22-year-old man from Birmingham, and a 32-year-old man arrested in Powys.

West Midlands Police said a man from Northampton and another from Ipswich, both aged 24, were released without charge on Saturday, following enquiries.

All five men were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

They were also arrested on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation – National Action – under Section 11 of the Terrorism Act.

Police said the arrests were “pre-planned and intelligence-led”, adding “there was no threat to the public’s safety”.

Speaking to the Jewish News, ex-Commander of Forces in Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Kemp, insisted that extremism in the Army “is not a major problem and has never been”.

“Most soldiers keep away from politics and just get on with the job of defending our country which they do extremely well”.

“Because the forces reflect society there will always be isolated cases of wrong-doing in this area as in everything else. But, the cohesion of the armed forces, the discipline and the leadership mean that criminal behaviour is proportionally much less than in society as a whole, and that includes extremist activities.

“The recent arrests are an isolated case and show how seriously the army takes any form of wrongdoing amongst its members.

National Action, described by the Home Office as “virulently racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic”, became the first extreme right-wing group to be banned under terrorism laws in December 2016.