Man quizzed under Official Secrets Act

Updated 18.45 Sat Nov 10 2007
Keywords: secrets

A man in his 20s has been arrested and held in custody under the Official Secrets Act.

But police are refusing to comment on reports that the man allegedly attempted to pass military secrets to the Russians.

"At approx 8.10pm on November 7 officers from the Metropolitan Police arrested a man in his 20s at an address in Leeds under the Official Secrets Act. The man was further arrested under section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883" - Scotland Yard

The unnamed man was detained on Wednesday in Leeds, Yorkshire, after being arrested by the Metropolitan Police under both the Official Secrets Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

Scotland Yard said: "At approx 8.10pm on November 7 officers from the Metropolitan Police arrested a man in his 20s at an address in Leeds under the Official Secrets Act. The man was further arrested under section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.

"Following an application to court for an extension of custody the man remains in custody at a Yorkshire police station."

A spokeswoman for the Yard said she could not comment on reports in a Yorkshire newspaper that the man is thought to be a British, 23-year-old, and that the alleged breach of security was related to a government rather than a commercial source.

The arrest came just two days after MI5 director general Jonathan Evans said it was a matter of "some disappointment" that MI5 was still having to deal with "unreconstructed attempts" at spying by countries like China and Russia.

He said: "They are resources which I would far rather devote to countering the threat from international terrorism - a threat to the whole international community, not just the UK."

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