Yard swoops on 'terror boss'

A man alleged to be a leading figure in Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network was today arrested and charged after police raided targets in Britain.

The 37-year-old Algerian is appearing in court this afternoon accused of " directing" al Qaeda, being a member of the organisation and inciting acts of terrorism overseas.

The man also faced four charges relating to the financing of terrorism.

It is the first time that any suspect in Britain has been charged with membership of the banned terrorist group - a second Algerian was also charged with membership of al Qaeda, funding terrorism and the possession of racially inflammatory material "with a view to distribution". The two, named as Baghdad Meziane and Brahim Benmerzouga, 30, were due to appear in court following what police called a "pan-European investigation".

Sources in France said the arrests were linked to an investigation into planned attacks on Paris by Islamic militants.

Another 11 suspects were detained at eight different addresses in Leicestershirein a joint operation involving the Leicestershire constabulary, anti-terrorist detectives from the Met and immigration officials.

Eight men were held under the Terrorism Act 2000. Three more were held for suspected immigration offences - Home Office sources indicated they had all entered Britain illegally.

Leicestershire police refused to give details of the operation but said all the men were aged between 23 and 40. They refused to give details of the suspects' nationality.

All were being held in police stations in the county today, where they were being interviewed by detectives.

The arrests come weeks after eight foreign nationals were taken into detention under new powers granted to the State to hold indefinitely asylum seekers who cannot be safely deported because they could face death or persecution in their own country.

A police spokesman said: "We want to thank people from all the communities for their help and support over the past few months and we hope they will continue to support us in the operation against terrorism."

He added there was no evidence to suggest there was any terrorist threat against the people of Leicestershire.

Today's operation is believed to be the result of weeks of surveillance by the Leicestershire force with help from detectives at Scotland Yard.

Police in London said they had carried out a search of premises in the capital but there had been no arrests.

Within weeks of the 11 September attacks, US officials revealed they had uncovered plots to target the American Embassy in Paris, the US consulate in Marseille, buildings at Nato headquarters in Brussels and the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Three men were arrested in Leicester, based on information which came from a Bin Laden operative arrested last summer in Dubai with a forged French passport.

Under interrogation he gave details of the targets and the names of other members of the terrorist ring.

One plot centred on flying a helicopter packed with explosives into the American embassy in Paris.

A carload of men believed to be members of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network were arrested in Pakistan today after a high-speed chase.

The five men, reportedly dressed as women, were taken into custody in western Punjab province as they sped toward a tribal area.

The car had earlier struck a pedestrian. The suspects, whose identities have not been released, are en route to Lahore for interrogation.

Heathrow man had knife in socks
Now bin Laden - the fashion label