NINE MEN were remanded in custody yesterday after being charged concerning a suspected pre-Christmas terrorist plot in the UK.
The suspects, aged between 19 and 28 and from Cardiff, London and Stoke-on-Trent, were accused of carrying out reconnaissance missions on agreed targets and testing out incendiary devices.
Appearing in the dock at City of Westminster magistrates court in central London in three separate groups, each spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address. The senior district judge, Howard Riddle, remanded them to appear at the Old Bailey criminal court on January 14th.
Twelve men were held during raids by unarmed counter-terrorism officers last week in London, Cardiff, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham. Of those, three men – two from Cardiff and one from London – have been released without charge.
The nine suspects are charged with conspiring to cause by an explosive substance an explosion or explosions “of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the UK” between November 6th and December 21st this year.
They were also charged with “engaging in preparation for acts of terrorism” between October 1st and December 20th, the day of their arrest. The particulars of offence accused the men of “downloading, researching, obtaining and discussing materials and methods; researching, discussing, carrying out reconnaissance on, and agreeing potential targets”.
The suspects from Cardiff are Gurukanth Desai (28), Omar Sharif Latif (26) and Abdul Malik Miah (24). The London suspects are Mohammed Moksudur Rahman Chowdhury (20), from Tower Hamlets, and Shah Mohammed Lutfar Rahman (28), from Newham. The suspects from Stoke-on-Trent are Nazam Hussain (25), Usman Khan (19), Mohibur Rahman (26), and Abul Bosher Mohammed Shahjahan, (26). – (Guardian service)