Police in London have charged 11 people in connection with an alleged plot to blow up several airliners in mid-Atlantic earlier this month.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, police said that eight people had been charged with two offences related to the plot to manufacture and smuggle explosives on board the airlines.
The people have been charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism.
In addition three others have charged with other offences under the terrorism act 2006. One, a 17-year-old, has been charged with possession of articles useful to a person preparing acts of terrorism.
A woman has been released without charge, while 11 other individuals still in custody remain under "active investigation".
"This morning I made a decision that there was sufficient evidence and authorised ... the charge of 11 individuals," prosecutor Susan Hemming told a news conference.
"Eight are currently being charged with two offences relating to the alleged plot to manufacture and smuggle the component parts of improvised explosive devices onto aircraft and assemble and detonate them on board," she said.
"Those individuals are being charged with conspiracy to murder and the new offence of preparing acts of terrorism."
Police said on August 10th they had foiled a plot to bring down several airliners flying to the United States using liquid explosives.
Peter Clarke, head of London police's anti-terrorist branch, said police had seized a huge amount of equipment and evidence, including "martyrdom videos" - an apparent reference to last testaments by would-be suicide bombers - in 69 searches of houses, businesses, vehicles and open spaces.
The arrests came 13 months after four British Islamist suicide bombers killed themselves and 52 other people on London underground trains and a bus. Two of the bombers left videos saying they acted to punish Britain for its foreign policy.
"Since August 10th we have found bomb-making equipment. There are chemicals including hydrogen peroxide, electrical components, documents and other items. We have also found a number of video recordings -- these are sometimes referred to as martyrdom videos," Clarke said.
A 17-year-old was being charged with possessing items useful to a terrorist and two other suspects -- including the mother of an eight-month-old baby -- with failing to disclose the plot.
Another woman was released without charge, Hemming said. Of the 23 British Muslims arrested in raids announced on Aug. 10, 11 are being held pending a decision whether to charge them.
As many as 17 people are also being held in Pakistan over the suspected plot -- including at least two British nationals.
Clarke said the inquiry would take months. "The enormity of the alleged plot will be matched only by our determination to follow every lead and line of enquiry," he said.
Police have seized more than 400 computers, 200 mobile telephones and 8,000 memory sticks, CDs or DVDs.
The British government raised the threat level to "critical" for several days after the arrests, imposing tight restrictions on carry-on baggage by airline passengers that caused chaos at major British airports at the height of the summer holidays.
Although an initial ban on hand luggage and liquids being taken on board flights in Britain has been eased, airlines are still complaining at long turnaround times for security checks, and there have been calls for governments to foot the bill.