There were no terrorist attacks in Great Britain this month. However, the Minister of State for Security and Borders re-emphasised the evolving nature of the terrorist threat towards “self-initiated” terrorism, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An extremist crossbow plot was thwarted in Germany earlier in December, contributing to a recent rise in crossbows and bow-and-arrows featuring in extremist plots across Europe. Following an apparent attempt to assassinate (not terrorism related) Queen Elizabeth II with a crossbow later in the month, a review into The Crossbow Act has been ordered in the UK.
Elsewhere in the UK, a convicted terrorist was given a further sentence for using cryptocurrencies to finance terrorism. The value of cryptos sent by the terrorist over several years highlights the difficulties faced by security professionals trying to track and intercept these transfers.
Following the Liverpool bombing last month, updates are being made to the Poisons Act to require retailers to confirm the intended use of precursor chemicals before purchase and report suspicious activity within 24 hours.
Further afield, in Finland, five were arrested following the interruption of the first suspected right-wing terrorist plot in the country.
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