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| Four jailed over 'toy car' plot against TA base | Four jailed over 'toy car' plot against TA base |
| (25 days later) | |
| Four men were jailed on Thursday for their part in a plot to attack a Territorial Army base using a bomb strapped to a remote control car. | Four men were jailed on Thursday for their part in a plot to attack a Territorial Army base using a bomb strapped to a remote control car. |
| The Luton-based terror cell received a total of 44 years as the judge said the two ringleaders posed "a significant risk of serious harm to the public". | The Luton-based terror cell received a total of 44 years as the judge said the two ringleaders posed "a significant risk of serious harm to the public". |
| Zahid Iqbal, 31, and Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 25, were each sentenced to 16 years and three months after they were recorded discussing the planned attack on the TA centre in Luton with explosives made by following a manual called Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom. | Zahid Iqbal, 31, and Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, 25, were each sentenced to 16 years and three months after they were recorded discussing the planned attack on the TA centre in Luton with explosives made by following a manual called Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom. |
| 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 for 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 for a terrorist attack. |
| The men, all from Luton, had admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism between 1 January 2011 and 25 April 2012 at a hearing in March. | The men, all from Luton, had admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism between 1 January 2011 and 25 April 2012 at a hearing in March. |
| Woolwich crown court heard that Iqbal had helped organise training trips to Pakistan through an al-Qaida contact who was given the pseudonym Modern Sleeve. He organised a trip for Ahmed to travel in March 2011 for military training. Ahmed was observed by surveillance teams on trips to Snowdonia where he and others were spotted "carrying out regimental walking, press-ups, running in formation, and using logs perhaps as mock firearms". | Woolwich crown court heard that Iqbal had helped organise training trips to Pakistan through an al-Qaida contact who was given the pseudonym Modern Sleeve. He organised a trip for Ahmed to travel in March 2011 for military training. Ahmed was observed by surveillance teams on trips to Snowdonia where he and others were spotted "carrying out regimental walking, press-ups, running in formation, and using logs perhaps as mock firearms". |
| However, Iqbal later lost contact with Modern Sleeve in Pakistan. As a result of this – and also inspired by information from a banned al-Qaida online magazine, Inspire – Iqbal and Ahmed began to focus their efforts on a UK attack. | However, Iqbal later lost contact with Modern Sleeve in Pakistan. As a result of this – and also inspired by information from a banned al-Qaida online magazine, Inspire – Iqbal and Ahmed began to focus their efforts on a UK attack. |
| "They discussed making an IED [improvised explosive device] following instructions from an Inspire magazine which they planned to adapt," said Max Hill, prosecuting. "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 [improvised explosive device] following instructions from an Inspire magazine which they planned to adapt," said Max Hill, prosecuting. "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." |
| Covert recordings of the pair heard Iqbal 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. | Covert recordings of the pair heard Iqbal 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. |
| Iqbal 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." | Iqbal 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 pair recruited and radicalised Arshad and Hussain, the court heard. 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 pair recruited and radicalised Arshad and Hussain, the court heard. 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 the group discussed other potential targets including the US Airforce, the far right English Defence League and their local shopping centre. | The court heard the group discussed other potential targets including the US Airforce, the far right English Defence League and their local shopping centre. |
| The four men were arrested following a series of raids last April. Police searching their home addresses found a hard drive containing 44 Ways to Support Jihad, by Anwar Al-Awlaki and a copy of Inspire magazine including articles on how to bypass airport security and avoid detection by X-ray scanning equipment. They also uncovered passports, travel documentation and quantities of cash. | The four men were arrested following a series of raids last April. Police searching their home addresses found a hard drive containing 44 Ways to Support Jihad, by Anwar Al-Awlaki and a copy of Inspire magazine including articles on how to bypass airport security and avoid detection by X-ray scanning equipment. They also uncovered passports, travel documentation and quantities of cash. |
| Hill said the evidence revealed their involvement in violent terrorism: "This evidence supports the product of eavesdropping and surveillance in showing the radicalisation of the defendants and their commitment to engage in violent jihad in the sense of violent terrorist attacks against the military and civilian population of western states such as the United Kingdom." | Hill said the evidence revealed their involvement in violent terrorism: "This evidence supports the product of eavesdropping and surveillance in showing the radicalisation of the defendants and their commitment to engage in violent jihad in the sense of violent terrorist attacks against the military and civilian population of western states such as the United Kingdom." |
| Hill said an officer at the Forensic Explosives Laboratory had confirmed that the article Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom would have allowed the manufacture of explosives from ingredients that would "at least in some instances" be readily available. "Overall the document provided reasonably clear instructions on how to manufacture an improvised explosive device, including a timer, and the necessary components were identified," he said. "He [the officer] further observed that the proposed modifications in the instructions would probably render the device not viable." | Hill said an officer at the Forensic Explosives Laboratory had confirmed that the article Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom would have allowed the manufacture of explosives from ingredients that would "at least in some instances" be readily available. "Overall the document provided reasonably clear instructions on how to manufacture an improvised explosive device, including a timer, and the necessary components were identified," he said. "He [the officer] further observed that the proposed modifications in the instructions would probably render the device not viable." |
| During sentencing, Mr Justice Wilkie QC said Iqbal and Ahmed posed "a significant risk of serious harm to the public" as he imposed a custodial sentence of least 11 years and three months, with a five-year extension period subject to licence. | During sentencing, Mr Justice Wilkie QC said Iqbal and Ahmed posed "a significant risk of serious harm to the public" as he imposed a custodial sentence of least 11 years and three months, with a five-year extension period subject to licence. |
| "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." Wilkie acknowledged that Arshad and Hussain's offending had been at a lower level than Iqbal and Ahmed. | "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." Wilkie acknowledged that Arshad and Hussain's offending had been at a lower level than Iqbal and Ahmed. |
| Speaking outside the court Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, head of the Met's counter terrorism command, welcomed the jail sentences for all four men. | Speaking outside the court Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, head of the Met's counter terrorism command, welcomed the jail sentences for all four men. |
| "More than one travelled to Pakistan to carry out terrorist training and was also actively involved in radicalising and recruiting others to follow the same route," he said. "They took advantage of practical information from Inspire and several other terrorist publications which have the ultimate aim of encouraging attacks." | "More than one travelled to Pakistan to carry out terrorist training and was also actively involved in radicalising and recruiting others to follow the same route," he said. "They took advantage of practical information from Inspire and several other terrorist publications which have the ultimate aim of encouraging attacks." |
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