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| Luton terror plot: four jailed over plan to bomb army centre | Luton terror plot: four jailed over plan to bomb army centre |
| (8 days later) | |
| Two British terrorists who discussed plans for an al-Qaida-inspired attack in the UK have been ordered to serve up to 16 years and three months in jail. | Two British terrorists who discussed plans for an al-Qaida-inspired attack in the UK have been ordered to serve up to 16 years and three months in jail. |
| Zahid Iqbal, 31, and Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 25, discussed sending a remote-controlled toy car carrying a home-made bomb under the gates of a Territorial Army centre in Luton, Woolwich crown court in London heard. | Zahid Iqbal, 31, and Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 25, discussed sending a remote-controlled toy car carrying a home-made bomb under the gates of a Territorial Army centre in Luton, Woolwich crown court in London heard. |
| Mr Justice Wilkie QC said the pair posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public, and imposed a custodial sentence of least 11 years and three months, with a five-year extension subject to licence. | Mr Justice Wilkie QC said the pair posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public, and imposed a custodial sentence of least 11 years and three months, with a five-year extension subject to licence. |
| Umar Arshad, 24, was jailed for six years and nine months and Syed Farhan Hussain, 22, for five years and three months for their roles in preparing a terrorist attack. | Umar Arshad, 24, was jailed for six years and nine months and Syed Farhan Hussain, 22, for five years and three months for their roles in preparing a terrorist attack. |
| The men, 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. | The men, 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. |
| The court heard that they considered methods, materials and targets for a terrorist attack. Iqbal and Ahmed spoke about making an improvised explosive device (IED) based on instructions in an al-Qaida manual titled "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom – by the al-Qaida chef". | The court heard that they considered methods, materials and targets for a terrorist attack. Iqbal and Ahmed spoke about making an improvised explosive device (IED) based on instructions in an al-Qaida manual titled "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom – by the al-Qaida chef". |
| In covert recordings of the pair Iqbal was heard suggesting attaching the bomb to a remote-controlled toy car and sending it under the gap of a gate to a TA centre in Luton. He was 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." | In covert recordings of the pair Iqbal was heard suggesting attaching the bomb to a remote-controlled toy car and sending it under the gap of a gate to a TA centre in Luton. He was 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." |
| The men were arrested following a series of raids at their homes in April last year after an intelligence-led joint operation by the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command and the security service. | The men were arrested following a series of raids at their homes in April last year after an intelligence-led joint operation by the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command and the security service. |
| The court heard that Iqbal was 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 helped Ahmed travel to Pakistan in March 2011 for military training and discussed methods of avoiding detection, the court heard. | The court heard that Iqbal was 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 helped Ahmed travel to Pakistan in March 2011 for military training and discussed methods of avoiding detection, the court heard. |
| Ahmed was observed by surveillance on numerous occasions going on trips to mountainous regions such as Snowdonia with others in preparation. By spring 2011 Iqbal, a married father of one, lost contact with Modern Sleeve in Pakistan. As a result of this, and drawing on information from the banned al-Qaida online magazine Inspire, Iqbal and Ahmed began to focus on attack-planning in the UK, said the prosecutor Max Hill QC. | Ahmed was observed by surveillance on numerous occasions going on trips to mountainous regions such as Snowdonia with others in preparation. By spring 2011 Iqbal, a married father of one, lost contact with Modern Sleeve in Pakistan. As a result of this, and drawing on information from the banned al-Qaida online magazine Inspire, Iqbal and Ahmed began to focus on attack-planning in the UK, said the prosecutor Max Hill QC. |
| "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." | "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." |
| In May 2011 Ahmed and Hussain were recorded discussing the possibility of an "inside job" against MI5, Hill told the court. A search of Iqbal's house found a hard drive containing a number of items including a copy of 44 Ways to Support Jihad, by Anwar al-Awlaki, the court heard. | In May 2011 Ahmed and Hussain were recorded discussing the possibility of an "inside job" against MI5, Hill told the court. A search of Iqbal's house found a hard drive containing a number of items including a copy of 44 Ways to Support Jihad, by Anwar al-Awlaki, the court heard. |
| A copy of Inspire magazine including articles on how to bypass airport security and avoid detection by X-ray scanning equipment, how to transport explosives in printer cartridges and how packages were shipped to Yemen in cargo planes was also found. | A copy of Inspire magazine including articles on how to bypass airport security and avoid detection by X-ray scanning equipment, how to transport explosives in printer cartridges and how packages were shipped to Yemen in cargo planes was also found. |
| Searches warrants issued in September 2011 at the defendants' addresses uncovered evidence from computers and digital media, mobile telephones and sim cards, passports, travel documentation and quantities of cash, the court was told. | Searches warrants issued in September 2011 at the defendants' addresses uncovered evidence from computers and digital media, mobile telephones and sim cards, passports, travel documentation and quantities of cash, the court was told. |
| Lawyers for Ahmed and Iqbal claimed the conversation covertly recorded about the proposed TA attack was a one-off that went no further. | Lawyers for Ahmed and Iqbal claimed the conversation covertly recorded about the proposed TA attack was a one-off that went no further. |
| The court heard that Arshad provided cash and sim cards for Ahmed's trip to Pakistan and advised him on a cover story while he was there. He also downloaded electronic editions of Inspire that could be useful for a person preparing an act of terrorism, the hearing was told. | The court heard that Arshad provided cash and sim cards for Ahmed's trip to Pakistan and advised him on a cover story while he was there. He also downloaded electronic editions of Inspire that could be useful for a person preparing an act of terrorism, the hearing was told. |
| Hussain, too, downloaded material from Inspire and spoke to Ahmed about sourcing a firearm, which he never obtained, the court heard. | Hussain, too, downloaded material from Inspire and spoke to Ahmed about sourcing a firearm, which he never obtained, the court heard. |
| The judge said a further 13 counts relating to the possession of information contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000 should be left on the file. Addressing Iqbal and Ahmed, he said: "In each of their cases, their persistent commitment to terrorist activity, in a number of different ways, over a significant period of time and, in each case, their willingness to take practical steps to obtain terrorist training abroad, marks them as particularly dangerous." | The judge said a further 13 counts relating to the possession of information contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000 should be left on the file. Addressing Iqbal and Ahmed, he said: "In each of their cases, their persistent commitment to terrorist activity, in a number of different ways, over a significant period of time and, in each case, their willingness to take practical steps to obtain terrorist training abroad, marks them as particularly dangerous." |
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