Police in Birmingham have unveiled and ceased plans to commit acts of terrorism which were believed to be of a greater scale than that of the 7/7 bombings.
Three men of the Birmingham area, Irfan Khalid, and Ashik Ali, both aged 27, and Ifan Naseer, 31, are currently facing trial under the belief that they conspired to commit the string of suicide bombings across the UK. Believed to have targeted eight individual places, the trio’s plan would have caused more damage than that of 7/7, and stuck a more profound chord with the populace of Britain.
Police believe Ifan Naseer and Irfan Khalid had gone under significant training in Pakistan in preparation for the attack. The training also allowed them to produce a suicide video, which would have gone global had the plan come to pass.
Ali was said to have provided housing for both Naseer and Khalid after their training was complete, as well as displaying his interest to participate in the attack.
The bulk of the prosecution’s evidence has been presented in the form of captured talks between the men, gathered using bugs which were planted by police inside the residence as well as the vehicles used by the men. These captured the men talk of the plan to be like that of 9/11.
Funds for the plan and training had been raised from the local area, under the guise of a legal and legitimate Muslim aid programme, as well as the group claiming to be raising for a local Islamic school. The men managed to raise in the region of £13,000.
However, the men deny claims of their plot, insisting that they never underwent the training to conduct the attack, and any such activities that allow for them to prepare such an action. As the trial continues to unfold, the truth behind the allegations and the merit of the denial and refusal of the claims will be explored.
