Five including two women arrested for G20 terror plot

A suspected plot to disrupt the upcoming G-20 Summit to be attended by top world leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been unearthed with the arrest of five persons on terrorism charges.

Cache of imitation guns, knives and 'suspicious devices' were recovered from them. Police said they uncovered some political material relating to protests planned to disrupt the meeting in Excel Centre in London on April 2.

There was no suggestion of Muslim extremists being involved, a police spokesman said. "Those arrested are not believed, at this stage, to be part of a national or larger operation."

The five arrested live in Plymouth, Devon and the surrounding area. The three men, aged 25, 19 and 16, and two women, both 20 were arrested forty-eight hours before world leaders gather here for the G20 summit.

They have been detained under anti-terrorism laws and are being held in Cornwall. Police found a range of imitation and deactivated fire-arms from handguns to long-barreled rifles and a Kalashnikov-style assault rifle.

They also found 'suspicious devices', described as 'improvised explosives made of fireworks', that were sent away for forensic examination.

The arrests were made in raids in Plymouth after a 25-year-old man was caught spraying graffiti slogans in the city centre on Friday night.