British Israeli national security cooperation relations at a peak

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Cooperation between the British and the Israeli security services is now “at a peak” a source related to the issue told I-HLS.

The level of cooperation the source said a result of the “common concerns” that the security organizations of both countries have.

According to Security news desk website official British Home Office figures have shown there were 245 terrorism arrests in the year to September 30 2012, a 60% increase on the previous year.

The quarterly update report was brought together from statistical material relating to the Terrorism Act 2000 and submitted by the Association of Chief Police Officers, Crown Prosecution Service, National Offender Management Service, Scottish Prison Service and police forces in Great Britain.

It shows a total of 245 people were held on suspicion of terrorism-related offences in Great Britain in the 12-month period, compared to 153 in 2011. It means a total of 2,291 people have been arrested for terrorism offences since September 11 2001.

Of those arrested in the 12 months to September 2012, 45 persons (18%) were charged with an offence. Some 10 of those arrested and charged were then convicted of a terrorism-related offence and, as at Jan 18, 25 were awaiting prosecution.

In addition, the figures showed that on September 30 2012 there were 134 people in prison custody for terrorism-related and extremist offences, including those both convicted and remanded.

The release also showed information relating to police stops and searches under sections 43 and 47A of the Terrorism Act 2000.

It showed that special police powers to stop and search people under section 47A – which allows searches for terrorist-related material even where there is no direct suspicious of involvement in terrorism – have not once been used since they were introduced in March 2011

The Metropolitan Police were shown to have conducted 720 stops and searches under section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in the year ending September 30 2012. This figure was a fall of 41% year-on-year, with 1,211 stops and searches conducted in the previous 12 months.