A man from North London is due in court next week charged with being a member of a banned neo-Nazi terrorist group, as part of an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s counter terrorism unit.
David Musins, 35, from North London, was charged on February 4 with one count of being a member of the proscribed organisation, contrary to Section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He will first appear on bail at Westminster Magistrates’ Court next week on Valentine’s Day (Monday, February 14).
He was arrested by counter-terrorism officers on November 10, 2021, when he was released on bail, and later charged by the Metropolitan Police force. The charge relates to alleged membership to the banned extreme right-wing group for a period of nine months between December 2016 and August 2017.
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National Action was founded in early 2013, after the decline of the British National Party and English Defence League. The group was founded by Benjamin Raymond and Alex Davies, who were university students at the time. Although now banned, an undercover ITV investigation reported in 2017 that members of the banned Neo-Nazi group are still meeting up in secret.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Home Secretary may ban an organisation if they believe it is linked to terrorism, and “it is proportionate to do”. For the purposes of the Act, this means that the organisation “commits or participates in acts of terrorism”. Little is known about the members of National Action because the group is “very tiny”, with the Huffington Post reporting that the group’s Fight Club style rules are as follows:
“1. You do not talk about National Action. Our biggest problem has always been people that can’t keep their mouths shut and something bad happens. 2. You do not talk about National Action. Seriously, if you do something secretly or anonymously then don’t tell everyone.”
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What has happened to previous members of National Action?
Members of the banned Neo-Nazi group have previously been dealt lengthy prison sentences for being affiliated with National Action. A former probationary Met Police police officer was sentenced at the Old Bailey to a total of four years and four months in prison after he was exposed as a secret member of a Neo-Nazi group.
Benjamin Hannam, 22, from North London was found guilty of being a former member of National Action after a trial at London’s Central Criminal Court in April 2021. He was also convicted of possession of documents containing information useful for a terrorist purpose, and fraud. He was later found to have lied in his job application and vetting forms about his previous membership of the terror group.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Communities defeat terrorism, and information from the public is vital to counter terrorism investigations. If you see or hear something unusual or suspicious and think someone may be engaging in terrorist activity, trust your instincts and act by reporting it in confidence at gov.uk/ACT. Always dial 999 or in an emergency.”
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I’m Sam, a News Reporter at MyLondon with a special interest in covering court and crime. I started in September 2021, and I’m based in Ealing. You can follow my Facebook page here.
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