Hostile-state threat probes grown fourfold - police

State threats have accelerated since the 2018 Salisbury poisoning

Police are investigating unprecedented numbers of plots from hostile states, led by Russia, China and Iran, the UK's counter-terrorism chief has said.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes said 15 plots to kill or kidnap had come out of Iran alone since January 2020.

Investigations into plots involving states had quadrupled in the past couple of years, he said.

And detectives were also examining more than 100 reports of Ukraine war crimes, an operation that could last decades.

"At present around 20% of our casework is focused on missions outside terrorism," Mr Jukes said.

"That means countering state threats, investigating war crimes and working with [security service] MI5 and other partners to address espionage.

"We know that the interests of some state organisations and their proxies include kidnap, forced repatriation and assassination of their opponents."

Armed Metropolitan Police vehicles guarding the offices of Iran International in Chiswick, last November

There were dozens of hostile-state operations, compared with 800 live terrorism-plot investigations, Mr Jukes said - but they were far more complex and could require many more investigators and resources.

In November, Scotland Yard very publicly began to station armed officers outside the London studios of Iran International Television, a Persian-language service Tehran considers terrorists.

Last weekend, a man was arrested nearby. He has now been charged with collecting information for the purpose of terrorism.

Scotland Yard is also looking into international reports China has created a network of clandestine "police stations" around the world from which it can investigate dissidents.

Last December, Beijing withdrew six officials from its Manchester consulate, weeks after a pro-democracy protester had been dragged into its grounds and beaten by men.

"I want to be absolutely clear that any attempt to intimidate, to harass or to harm individuals who are UK nationals, or who have made the UK their home, won't be tolerated," Mr Jukes said.

"Attempts to set up shop, to act outside the conventions of international law enforcement are not acceptable. They will be stopped."

War crimes

Mr Jukes also urged anyone in the UK with potential evidence of war crimes in Ukraine to contact specialist officers.

"I'd like to commend the really courageous Ukrainians who have come to us with information, either their personal testimony or digital media," he said.

"We had around 50 reports at the midpoint of last year. We're now at around 100 reports, which are being actively considered to support the International Criminal Court.

"We've been doing that in churches and communities, with the people who've come over.

"It has to be to see that those who are responsible for war crimes in Ukraine are brought to justice - we're in this for potentially decades."