Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed: Terror suspect cut off tag

Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed: Terror suspect cut off tag


Details have emerged of how a terror suspect escaped from surveillance after changing into a burka at a mosque.
Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed
Police have released images of Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed before and after he vanished
Somali-born Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, 27, used a sharp instrument to cut off his electronic tag on Friday.
The tag, imposed under the terms of a terrorism prevention measures order (TPim), issued a "tamper-alert" to its makers, the private security firm G4S.
They rang the suspect and contacted the Home Office after he failed to answer. Police were alerted but he had fled.
The BBC's Security Correspondent Frank Gardner said Mr Mohamed was likely to be under MI5 surveillance.
Mr Mohamed arrived at the An-Noor Masjid and Community Centre, in west London, at approximately 10:00 GMT on Friday, and was seen inside at 15:15.
During that time he cut off his tag and changed this appearance, with CCTV images showing him leaving the mosque disguised as a woman.
His restrictive surveillance regime, which includes a 21:30 GMT curfew, was due to expire by January.
Mr Mohamed is now the subject of a police-led manhunt and could face up to five years in prison if caught.
The Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command, MI5 and the UK's Border Force have joined forces to find him.
Under surveillance
Mr Mohamed is the second terror suspect under a TPim order to go missing.
He is believed to have close links to al-Shabab, the Somali insurgent group that raided Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in September, resulting in 67 deaths, but officials said there was not enough evidence to bring a criminal case against him in court.
TPims restrict the movements of people thought to pose a risk to the public, but who cannot be tried for reasons of national security and who cannot be deported.
TPims were brought in last year to replace control orders which were introduced by the last Labour government.
Those subject to TPims face restrictions, such as where they stay, who they contact and where they travel, but these differ from control orders in that suspects cannot be forced to relocate to another part of the UK.
As of September, nine men - eight of them British - were under TPim surveillance.

No comments: