Mother convicted for not telling police about terror plot

A 49-year-old female from Leeds was found guilty of terrorism offences at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (15 May).

Nabeela Anjum was charged with two offences of Failing to Disclose Information about Acts of Terrorism to the police contrary to S38B of the Terrorism Act 2000.

She has been bailed pending sentencing. A date has yet to be confirmed.

Anjum was charged by Counter Terrorism Policing North East in October 2023 after police produced a chronological timeline of WhatsApp messages and calls evidencing that she had failed to disclose information relating to a terror attack.

She became aware that her teenage son, Sameer, had become radicalised, held extremist Islamist beliefs and was viewing terrorist propaganda. 

He was also in contact with a London based individual, who had obtained chemicals which he intended to use to construct a bomb. His mother was aware of this information and failed to disclose this to the police.

The London based nominal, Al Arfat Hassan, appeared at The Old Bailey on 10 November last year and, after an investigation by the Met Police, pleaded guilty to having 500ml of Acetone and 750 ml Hydrogen Peroxide articles in his possession for a purpose connected with an act of terrorism (contrary to S57 of the Terrorism Act 2000).

Sameer Anjum was also prosecuted, and given a custodial sentence, for not disclosing to the police Al Arfat HASSAN’s terrorist intentions relating to the chemicals.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley said: “This demonstrates how important it is to report serious information to the police. We are all under a legal duty to report to the police any information which we know or believe might be of assistance in preventing an act of terrorism.

“You may think that you are helping and protecting someone by withholding information, but you are not, and it can make things worse."