Man jailed for possession of terrorist document

A man from Leicester has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for possessing a terrorist document.

Claudiu Stefan Cristea was arrested in February 2024 as part of an intelligence-led operation by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

The investigation was focussed on an extreme right wing online chat group called “Einsatz14”, members of which were suspected of planning a terrorist attack against a target in Leeds.

When officers search his house, they found a copy of The Anarchist’s Cookbook, which provides instructions on the manufacture of explosives, weapons and drugs.

Cristea was charged with one offence of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “Cristea maintained that his interest in far right ideology was purely academic, but his involvement with the ‘Einsatz14’ chat group showed that was not the case.

“He shared racist and antisemitic views in that chat group with individuals who went on to plan an extreme right wing terrorist attack.

“Extremist material, whether it be online or in books, causes harm to people in the real world.

“If you come across material which you suspect may be terrorist or extremist, trust your instincts and report it at gov.uk/ACT so we can stop the harm it spreads.”