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Brothers sentenced for terrorism offences

Two brothers have pleaded guilty to collection of information, contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000; preparation of terrorist acts and dissemination of terrorist publications. Ahmed Alsyed was sentenced to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment after pleading guilty at Woolwich Crown Court. The 20-year-old was part of a group planning to travel to Syria and fight alongside the terrorist organisation ISIS. His 18-year-old brother, Yousif, also pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts and dissemination of terrorist publications, both contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006, and awaits sentencing. Police officers at Heathrow Airport stopped the Alsyed brothers under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 on 10 August 2016 after they arrived on a flight from Egypt. According to the Metropolitan Police, detectives from its Counter Terrorism Command began their intelligence-led investigation into the group's activities in spring 2016. Despite having their phones confiscated at the time, both Alsyed brothers acquired new phones, which when seized, showed continued communication between the brothers and an individual in Yemen discussing plans for travelling to Libya or Syria for the purpose of joining ISIS. Commander Clarke Jarrett, of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "The evidence we recovered showed the clear intent of the Alsyed brothers to go to Syria, where they would join ISIS. It is patent to me that their intention, once they had joined the terrorist group, was to fight alongside it as the brothers had invested time in training in the UK, including spending time at a paintballing camp and joining a gym. The brothers shared with each other gory videos and images glorifying ISIS. They had their hearts set on joining their fight but our investigation stopped them."

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