AN 18-YEAR-old male has been convicted in the UK of preparing to commit acts of terrorism, including planning to make a ‘pipe bomb’ and hatching a plot to murder soldiers.
The Metropolitan Police said that Kazi Islam, of Meanley Road, Manor Park, E12 was found guilty of preparing to commit acts of terrorism contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, at the Old Bailey.
Impressionable
Police said that Islam struck up a friendship with a “vulnerable and impressionable” 19-year-old man in October 2013.
After sympathising with him over a break-up, over the course of several months Islam “attempted to convince his ‘friend’ to get involved with plots to make home-made improvised explosive devices (IEDs)”.
He also encouraged him to carry out an attack on members of the armed forces.
Police said this attack would have been similar to the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in May 2013.
Following an investigation by officers from SO15, a search warrant was executed at Islam’s home address on 24 July, 2014. Officers searched his and a neighbouring address in east London and seized several phones and computers.
Officers found evidence of various conversations between Islam and the 19-year-old in which they talked about items needed to make pipe bombs and other explosive devices.
“Islam [was] trying to both encourage and bully his ‘friend’ into purchasing the items on his behalf,” said the Met Police.
Officers also discovered that Islam visited websites and downloaded instructions on how to make IEDs.
During some of their conversations, Islam even tried to cover up what he was talking about, referring to ‘ingredients’ he needed to make a ‘cake’ but, during the same conversation, he confirmed he was actually talking about making a bomb when his friend asked him.
In addition, police found details of conversations where Islam “encouraged and tried to incite the other man to carry out an attack on members of the armed forces”.
Islam was arrested by police on 13 August 2014, and charged on 5 November, 2014.
Commander Richard Walton, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command (SO15), said:
Islam groomed and bullied a vulnerable man to try and get him to make a bomb or attack soldiers.
We were able to intervene early on this occasion and prevent what we believe would have been an act of terrorism in the UK.
He said that police continue to appeal to anyone who may have knowledge of people with similar intentions.
We also remind the public that there is currently a need to protect vulnerable or impressionable adults or children from this brand of Islamic extremism.
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