 Tony McNulty said the ban had been in the pipeline for a while |
Two organisations said to be involved in terrorism overseas are to be added to the UK's list of banned groups, Home Office minister Tony McNulty has said. The ban on Tehrik Nefaz-e Shari'at Mohammadi and Jammat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh will send a "strong message to terrorists", Mr McNulty said.
The move comes as police investigate three failed car bomb attempts in Glasgow and London.
But Mr McNulty said the ban had been planned for some time.
'Serious' threat
After proposing the proscription order for the two groups, Mr McNulty said: "As events over the last few days have shown only too clearly, the threat we face from terrorism remains real and serious."
He added: "Proscription powers are a key tool in the fight against terrorism, creating a hostile environment in which terrorists find it increasingly difficult to operate, whether in this country or abroad."
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, an organisation can be proscribed if the secretary of state believes it is "concerned in terrorism".
Proscription means an organisation is outlawed in the UK as soon as the order comes into force, making it a criminal offence for a person to belong to or encourage support for a proscribed organisation.
This latest proscription order is subject to approval by both houses of parliament and will be debated by MPs and peers in the coming weeks.
There are currently 58 organisations on the UK's proscribed list.
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