London: Police detained another suspect on Tuesday in the alleged plot to blow up jetliners over the Atlantic, the first arrest since authorities detained two dozen people last week and threw Britain's airports into turmoil by imposing tougher security.
The announcement came after police said they raided two Internet cafes near the homes of some suspects and a news report said officers may have found a rifle and a pistol in a search of woodlands in the same area.
Travelers still faced problems at Britain's main airports, where flight delays and cancellations exacerbated confusion over shifting rules on hand luggage.
London's Metropolitan Police said the latest suspect was detained around noon in the Thames Valley area just west of London. They offered no more details, including the person's gender or identity.
"A suspect has been arrested in connection with the investigation and is in custody in the Thames Valley area," a spokeswoman said, speaking on condition of anonymity to comply with department rules.
The developments came after several days of near silence from British officials, who had announced Thursday that they foiled the planned terror attack by arresting 24 people around the country. Police have released little information since then.
Authorities will have to provide at least some details of their evidence when a judge holds a closed-door hearing on Wednesday to decide whether to extend detention for 23 suspects.
One suspect was released without charge on Friday.
The two Internet cafes were raided on Thursday in central Slough, not far from the High Wycombe neighborhood where several suspects were arrested, Thames Valley police said.
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Police said they had increased their presence in Slough, and urged people to stay calm.
"There is no intelligence to suggest that there is any specific terrorist threat to anyone in this area," Chief Superintendent Brian Langston said.
Langston didn't say if police found anything in their search. Nargis Janjua, co-owner of the One World Internet Cafe, said officers arrived on Thursday afternoon and removed 25 computers from her shop and loaded them into a van.
"They told us they were watching for days and weeks before," she said. She added that she had no idea why police were suspicious of activities in the shop.
The British Broadcasting Corp. said a search of woods in High Wycombe turned up several firearms and other items of interest.
It was not clear if they were tied to the alleged plot, which authorities say involved plans to smuggle liquid explosives hidden in hand luggage aboard airplanes.
Investigations are also under way in Pakistan, where officials are holding 17 people, including British citizen Rashid Rauf, who they said has al-Qaida connections and was a key player in the plot.
At least one of Rauf's brothers was arrested in England.
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