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Terror suspects planned to use 'remote-controlled toy car' to carry bomb Terror suspects planned to use 'remote-controlled toy car' to carry bomb
(7 days later)
Terror plotters discussed sending a remote-controlled toy car carrying a homemade bomb under the gates of a Territorial Army centre, a court was told.Terror plotters discussed sending a remote-controlled toy car carrying a homemade bomb under the gates of a Territorial Army centre, a court was told.
Zahid Iqbal, 31, and Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 25, spoke about making an improvised explosive device (IED) based upon instructions in an al-Qaida manual entitled "make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom", Woolwich crown court was told.Zahid Iqbal, 31, and Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 25, spoke about making an improvised explosive device (IED) based upon instructions in an al-Qaida manual entitled "make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom", Woolwich crown court was told.
The court in south-east London was played covert recordings of the pair in which Iqbal suggests attaching the bomb to a remote-controlled toy car and sending it under the gate of a Territorial Army (TA) centre in Luton.The court in south-east London was played covert recordings of the pair in which Iqbal suggests attaching the bomb to a remote-controlled toy car and sending it under the gate of a Territorial Army (TA) centre in Luton.
Iqbal is recorded telling Ahmed: "I was looking and drove past like the TA centre, Marsh Road. At the bottom of their gate there's quite a big gap. If you had a little toy car it drives underneath one of their vehicles or something."Iqbal is recorded telling Ahmed: "I was looking and drove past like the TA centre, Marsh Road. At the bottom of their gate there's quite a big gap. If you had a little toy car it drives underneath one of their vehicles or something."
Iqbal, Ahmed, Umar Arshad, 24, and Syed Farhan Hussain, 21, all from Luton, admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism between 1 January 2011 and 25 April 2012 at a hearing on 1 March.Iqbal, Ahmed, Umar Arshad, 24, and Syed Farhan Hussain, 21, all from Luton, admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism between 1 January 2011 and 25 April 2012 at a hearing on 1 March.
Iqbal, of Bishopscote Road; Arshad, of Crawley Road; Hussain, of Cornel Close; and Ahmed, of Maidenhall Road, considered methods, materials and targets for attacks.Iqbal, of Bishopscote Road; Arshad, of Crawley Road; Hussain, of Cornel Close; and Ahmed, of Maidenhall Road, considered methods, materials and targets for attacks.
Opening the prosecution against the men, Max Hill QC said: "The defendants were subjects of an intelligence led joint operation by the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command (SO15) and the British Security Service [MI5] into the facilitation of individuals from the UK to Pakistan for extremist purposes connected to al-Qaida."Opening the prosecution against the men, Max Hill QC said: "The defendants were subjects of an intelligence led joint operation by the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command (SO15) and the British Security Service [MI5] into the facilitation of individuals from the UK to Pakistan for extremist purposes connected to al-Qaida."
Hill said the evidence showed that Iqbal had been acting as a facilitator for people who wanted to travel for "extremist purposes" and he had direct contact with a Pakistani operative who was given the pseudonym "Modern Sleeve".Hill said the evidence showed that Iqbal had been acting as a facilitator for people who wanted to travel for "extremist purposes" and he had direct contact with a Pakistani operative who was given the pseudonym "Modern Sleeve".
He said Ahmed was observed by surveillance on numerous occasions attending a gym for training and going on trips to mountainous regions with others.He said Ahmed was observed by surveillance on numerous occasions attending a gym for training and going on trips to mountainous regions with others.
Hill added that conversations picked up from covert surveillance revealed that he was carrying out the training with a view to being physically fit for "purposes connected with terrorism".Hill added that conversations picked up from covert surveillance revealed that he was carrying out the training with a view to being physically fit for "purposes connected with terrorism".
"He stated that Snowdon was a particular favourite location to train because within the UK it bears the most resemblance to the mountainous regions of Pakistan," he said."He stated that Snowdon was a particular favourite location to train because within the UK it bears the most resemblance to the mountainous regions of Pakistan," he said.
"The surveillance in Snowdon shows on occasions Ahmed and others carrying out regimental walking, press-ups, running in formation and using logs and branches perhaps as mock firearms.""The surveillance in Snowdon shows on occasions Ahmed and others carrying out regimental walking, press-ups, running in formation and using logs and branches perhaps as mock firearms."
By spring 2011 Iqbal lost contact with Modern Sleeve in Pakistan, he said. As a result of this, and also inspired by information from a series of the banned al-Qaida online magazine Inspire, Iqbal and Ahmed began to focus on attack planning in the UK, Hill said.By spring 2011 Iqbal lost contact with Modern Sleeve in Pakistan, he said. As a result of this, and also inspired by information from a series of the banned al-Qaida online magazine Inspire, Iqbal and Ahmed began to focus on attack planning in the UK, Hill said.
"They discussed making an IED following instructions from an Inspire magazine which they planned to adapt," he said."They discussed making an IED following instructions from an Inspire magazine which they planned to adapt," he said.
"They also identified a target for such an attack, namely a Territorial Army base in their locality, although they discussed targeting multiple sites at one time," he said."They also identified a target for such an attack, namely a Territorial Army base in their locality, although they discussed targeting multiple sites at one time," he said.
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