Police make six more arrests following murder of 14-year-old Fares Maatou

Fares is the 12th teenager stabbed to death in London this year
Fares Maatou
Metropolitan Police
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Detectives investigating the fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Fares Maatou have made six further arrests bringing the total number of suspects to 10.

The group of males - aged 15, 18, 18, 22, 30 and 53  – were all arrested at an address in Leyton, east London on Tuesday.

The 15-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder and possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.

The rest of the men were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.

All were taken to various east London police stations and remain in custody.

The development in the investigation came after police announced on Sunday that a boy, also aged 14, was charged with the murder of Fares, who died at the scene of the attack in Barking Road, Newham.

Police had been called to the area at 3.56pm on April 23 following reports of a stabbing.

But Fares was pronounced dead an hour later and a post-mortem examination held at East Ham Mortuary gave Fares’s cause of death as stab injuries.

Fares, who was wearing his school uniform, was in possession of an e-scooter when he was attacked. Police said inquiries are continuing and they are keeping an open mind as to any motive.

It comes after three other 15-year-old boys were arrested last week on suspicion of murder.

They have been bailed to a date in late May.

So far in 2021, Scotland Yard has opened 13 homicide investigations where the victim was a teenager, 12 of whom were stabbed to death.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to call the incident room on 020 8345 1570 or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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