In the early hours of Friday morning, a significant police operation was launched in East London, marking the third day of an extensive manhunt for an Afghan man suspected of acid attacks. The Metropolitan Police spearheaded this operation, involving approximately 120 officers, including specialist units and the Territorial Support Group (TSG).
The operation commenced from a rear carpark of an East London police station, with officers donning Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) reinforced acid-proof suits and gas respirators for the raid on a domestic property. The operation’s scale has been compared to exceed that of the Wayne Cousins case, with resources from various Metropolitan Police specialist teams, including the Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear departments, being mobilized.
[data-ps-embed-type=slideshow] > iframe {position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;} _psEmbed(“https:///uknip.photoshelter.com”);Supporting the police effort were paramedics from the London Ambulance Service, Incident Response Officers, and the London Fire Brigade’s National Inter-Agency Liaison Officers (NILO). The raid involved a convoy of six response officer cars, navigating through East London’s backstreets to the targeted YMCA. Upon arrival, officers enforced entry to the building, searching residences, rooms, and the roof area. Individuals found were then taken into police custody for questioning regarding the fugitive’s whereabouts.
Exclusive drone imagery captured 60 TSG officers in reinforced blue plastic overalls, green Wellington boots, body armour, and gas respirators. A specialist decontamination shower was set up by the Metropolitan Police, with additional support from the London Fire Brigade, including a fire engine and a station commander from Walthamstow.
The operation is described as an “all-out” effort to apprehend the suspect, based on intelligence. The involvement of multiple specialist teams underscores the serious nature of the threat posed by the suspect and the Metropolitan Police’s commitment to ensuring public safety.
