Three men arrested over Islamic terrorism-related material

Three men found with Islamic terrorism-related material have been jailed for a combined 14 years following an investigation by counter terrorism officers at the Metropolitan Police.

Mohammed Tahir, 19, Muhammed Saeed, 23, and Mohamed Ismail, 23, were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on 20 May, having pleaded guilty to terrorism offences at earlier court hearings. Between August and December 2019, the three men spoke to each other on internet chat groups, and sent messages which showed their Islamic extremist mindsets.

They had never met each other in person, but in their online conversations, the three men expressed their support of the aims of Daesh, and of violent jihad against ‘non-believers’. They posted extremist material – ISIS propaganda material, including execution videos and publications showing different ways to commit terror attacks.

In one conversation, Saeed spoke about carrying out a terrorist attack in London with a knife.

Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “These three young men created chat groups so they could talk about their hatred for others, and their desire to see violent atrocities committed in the UK and the West.

“Tahir and Ismail shared illegal terrorism-related documents and material online, and they were all arrested after proactive police work by officers and staff across the Counter Terrorism Policing network.

“Police and the security services work around the clock to protect the public against people who hold extremist beliefs and wish harm on innocent people.

“Cases like this demonstrate the importance of taking steps to prevent people becoming radicalised. I urge anyone who is concerned that someone they know is potentially at risk of radicalisation to call the Prevent helpline, to access specialist assistance help them take a different path.”