UK terror arrests: Birmingham teen arrested at Manchester Airport for Syria related terrorism offences

A Birmingham teenager has been arrested at Manchester airport on suspicion of committing "Syria-related terrorism offences". The arrest was made by officers from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit on 16 April who detained the 18-year-old after arriving in the UK early on Saturday morning.

The terrorism unit say that the teenager's apprehension follows the arrest of a man and a woman on 4 April. The duo, a 24-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman, both from Birmingham, are currently on police bail.

The force said that there was no risk to any passengers at the airport, or to the wider public, in relation to the arrest at the airport. The counter terrorism unit uses MI5 and local police intelligence and is based in Birmingham.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Today's arrest follows the arrest of a man and a woman on 4 April. The pair, a 24-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman, both from Birmingham, are currently on police bail. There was no risk to any passengers at Manchester Airport or to the wider public in relation to these arrests."

Officials said this latest arrest is not connected to the apprehension of five people from Birmingham in the last 48 hours in the city and at Gatwick Airport. Four suspects, three men aged 26, 40 and 59 and a 29-year-old woman, were arrested in Birmingham with a fifth man, 26, was arrested at Gatwick.

West Midlands Police said the five were suspected of having links to terrorist links to mainland Europe and were potentially targeting UK landmarks like the London Eye. Those arrests were made in conjunction with French and Belgium authorities and all five suspects remain in custody.