A shocking video caught the moment counter-terrorism police in Greater Manchester dragged a suspect out of a home in his underwear during raids on Saturday
Rochdale: Moment man is marched outside house in underwear
A shocking video has caught the moment a man was marched outside of his home wearing just his underwear after counter-terrorism cops raided the property.
Armed police stormed the address in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, on Saturday, before escorting a shirtless man out of the house. Footage of the incident caught gun wielding officers shouting “get down” before the man fell to his knees with his hands behind his back. Neighbours recalled the shock moment counter-terrorism police swooped onto East Street before “blowing off the door” to the home as they arrested a man in part of an ongoing investigation.
Several heavily armed cops and police dogs can also be seen in the garden behind the property. Around a staggering 15 police cars and vans were spotted in the local area as well as forensics teams collecting evidence around the property, which remained taped off through Sunday.
A local resident, Amy Openshaw, told Manchester Evening News that there was “lots of screaming” when counter-terror police burst into the home. She said: “The children were out in the garden and they came running in to me saying there’s men with helmets, masks and guns outside.
“I have come out and I got told to go back inside. We went upstairs. And I just heard a massive bang. Either a flash bang or them blowing the door off. Then I heard lots and lots of screaming.
“Then the guy got taken out with hardly anything on. He had just underpants or shorts on. No t-shirt, no shoes. He got told to get on the floor. I could hear them saying ‘get on that floor.’ They had him on his knees.”
Police revealed they have made three arrests across Manchester so far in connection to a suspected terror plot to “target a specific premises”. Other arrests, in connection to this investigation, have also been made in Stockport and in Manchester.
The Metropolitan Police said five people have been arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. Four of those held, two aged 29, one aged 40 and another aged 46, are Iranian nationals. Police said the nationality and age of the fifth was still being established.
Three other men, all Iranian, were arrested in London on Saturday under national security legislation as part of a separate investigation by the CTC. The two operations were not connected. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper thanked police and security services for the action to “keep our country safe”.
All of the five were arrested on suspicion of preparation of an act of terrorism. They were detained in Swindon, west London, Stockport, as well as Rochdale and Manchester, and remain in police custody.