24 Dash : Three more charged over 'aircraft terror plot'

Three more charged over 'aircraft terror plot'

Publisher: Ian Morgan | August 30, 2006

Three more men appeared in court today charged in connection with the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airliners.

Nabeel Hussain, Mohammed Yasar Gulzar and Mohammed Shamin Uddin are accused of conspiracy to murder and of preparing an act of terrorism.

The three appeared before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London this morning.

Hussain, 22, of Chingford, east London, Gulzar, 25, of Barking, east London, and Uddin, 35, of Stoke Newington, north London, spoke only to confirm basic details about their identities during the hearing.

They all wore white sweatshirts and had dark hair and beards.

A bail application on behalf of Hussain was refused. No bail application was made on behalf of either Uddin or Gulzar.

The three were remanded in custody until September 18, when they will appear at the Old Bailey.

The first charge against the three men alleged that they "conspired with other persons to murder other persons" between January 1 and August 10 this year.

The alleged offence is contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

The second charge alleges that they "engaged in conduct to give effect to their intention to smuggle the component parts of improvised explosive devices onto aircraft and assemble and detonate them on board" between January 1 and August 10 this year.

The alleged offence is a new offence contrary to Section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Eight other men face the same charges. They appeared before magistrates last week and were also remanded in custody until September 4.

Three other people have been charged in relation to the alleged plot to smuggle improvised explosive devices on to transatlantic passenger jets and detonate them on board.

They include Nabeel Hussain's older brothers, Umair Hussain, 24, and Mehran Hussain, 23. They are both accused under the Terrorism Act 2000 of failing to disclose information about Nabeel.

Umair has been remanded in custody until September 1, while Mehran will next appear on September 19.

The other person charged so far is Cossar Ali, 24, from Walthamstow, east London, the mother of an eight-month-old baby. She is accused of failing to disclose information about her husband Ahmed Abdullah Ali - who is also charged in connection with the alleged plot.

She was remanded in custody yesterday for one week.

Another of the 24 people originally arrested in connection with the investigation appeared in court yesterday on a terrorism charge.

The 17-year-old youth is accused of an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 alleging that he possessed a book on improvised explosive devices, some suicide notes and wills with the identities of persons prepared to commit acts of terror and a map of Afghanistan.

He has been remanded in custody until September 19.

Detectives are continuing to question five other people and they have until this evening to decide whether to charge, release or apply for a further custody extension.

If they apply for a further extension, they will have to do so in front of a High Court judge.

Four of those originally arrested have been released without charge.

Copyright Press Association 2006