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Indian origin man convicted of terrorism

LONDON: Police on Tuesday claimed a major success in their counter-terror operations after a Tanzania-born person of Indian origin, described as a “key” figure in Britain’s Islamist movement, was convicted of recruiting young men and training them in secret camps for fighting “jihad”.

Mohammed Hamid (50), from East London, was accused of playing a crucial role in “grooming” young “jihadis” , including the four alleged suicide bombers involved in the failed attacks on London on July 21, 2005 — two weeks after the 7/7 bombings which claimed more than 50 lives.

All four were Hamid’s friends, the Prosecution said, claiming that he had close links with the leader of the 21/7 failed attacks, Muktar Ibrahim, now in jail.

The Woolwich Crown Court found Hamid guilty of “soliciting to murder” and of providing training to potential “jihadis” in secret camps in the Lake District and New Forest areas. But he was cleared of several other related charges including that of providing weapons training.

During the trial, the jury was told that Hamid had been preaching in and around London for more than a decade. The extent of his involvement in alleged extremist activities came to light after an undercover police officer infiltrated his gatherings and recorded him.

Welcoming the verdict, police described Hamid and his associates as “serious, determined terrorists”.

“The group included the people responsible for the attacks in London on 21 July, 2005. You have to look at the fact that they celebrated the deaths that occurred on 7 July. And, in fact, what they were doing accelerated and intensified [attempts] to try to mount attacks both here and overseas. You can only possibly conclude that these were serious determined terrorists,” Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke of the Metropolitan Police said.

Hamid denied the charges and claimed that he was simply trying to offer support to young men because Muslims felt vulnerable after the 9/11 attacks.

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