14 in court after anti-terror swoop

Fourteen men arrested as part of an ongoing anti-terrorist operation appeared in court today.

The men, 13 from Algeria and one from Tunisia, appeared before magistrates in Leicester charged with 60 offences between them.

The various counts related to using fake French passports, forgery, fraud, dishonesty and handling stolen goods.

Many of the men used an interpreter during their court appearance and each spoke only to confirm his name.

Thirteen of the defendants were remanded in custody and one man was bailed to an address in London.

A spokeswoman for Leicester Police said the men were among 28 people arrested since January this year in Leicester, London and Birmingham as part of an ongoing pan-European anti-terrorist operation.

So far, only two of those arrested have been charged with terrorism offences.

:: The defendants in court today were: Dahmane Kabli, 39, of Clipstone House, Leicester; Ahmed Selmi, 34, of Cross Keys Close, central London; Farad Omeiri, 31, of no fixed abode; Riad Zitouche, 31, also of no fixed abode; Abdel Kader Boulis, 30, of Elgin Avenue, New Parks, Leicester; Adbul-Ghani Gouiache, 32, Fraser Close Leicester; Kaif Hadi, 21, of no fixed abode; Laid Benattia, 41, of no fixed abode; Lahcene Gaoua, 29, of no fixed abode; Salim Arfaoui, 30, of Campsfield Immigration Centre; Noureddine Dridi, 31, of no fixed abode; Djaber Yahia, 35, of Woodhill, Leicester; Nabil Yahia, 28, of no fixed abode and Mourad Talbi, 33, of Windsor Crescent, Wembley, who was released on bail.