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Latest News
Three men found guilty of airline bomb plot
Three men who plotted to blow up planes in mid flight from the UK to America and Canada were today found guilty of conspiracy to murder. The men planned to smuggle liquid explosives disguised as fizzy drinks through airport security undetected, before detonating their bombs in the air. Abdullah Ahmed ALI, Assad SARWAR and Tanvir HUSSAIN were found guilty by a jury at Woolwich Crown Court of conspiracy to murder by detonating improvised explosive devices on board transatlantic passenger aircraft. They will be sentenced on Monday 14th September. Deputy Assistant Commissioner John McDowall, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and Senior National Co-ordinator Counter Terrorism, said: “If these terrorists had been successful, many people would have lost their lives. Many more would have died if they had chosen to detonate their bombs over land. “They intended to cause carnage through a series of co-ordinated and deadly explosions and bring terror into the lives of people around the globe. “Apart from massive loss of life, these attacks would have had enormous world-wide economic and political consequences. “But their plans were thwarted by the police and security services before they could commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale. “Each had a vital role to play in the plot. They were prepared to sacrifice their own lives and two of them - Ali and Hussain - had made suicide videos. “They claimed the videos were threats designed to influence the Government and intimidate the public. The jury rejected this, instead accepting the clear evidence that they were a pre-cursor to their attempted martyrdom. “This has been a lengthy, resource-intensive and meticulous investigation, which has culminated in today’s guilty verdicts. I cannot thank enough all those involved in bringing these terrorists to justice. “While we successfully disrupted this plot, the public should be in no doubt that the terrorist threat is still with us and that there are individuals in the UK who are determined to attack us. It is vital that we all remain vigilant.” The operation, codenamed Operation Overt, was one of the biggest investigations in the history of the Met. It incorporated the largest ever surveillance operation, which included teams from all over the country. Ali and Hussain used a ‘bomb factory’ at 386a Forest Road, Walthamstow, E17, to plan and manufacture elements of their Improvised Explosive Devices. They were arrested overnight on the 9th/10th August 2006 in a joint pre-planned intelligence led operation by the Metropolitan Police and the Security Service. Following their arrests searches were carried out at various properties and open spaces. During these searches officers found significant items relating to their plans, including dozens of litres of hydrogen peroxide; bulbs and wires; a thermometer; batteries, and - crucially - a digital tape containing the suicide videos relating to Ali and Hussain. During interviews at Paddington Green Police Station the three men exercised their right to silence.
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