Times Online : Eight remanded over alleged airline bomb plot

Eight remanded over alleged airline bomb plot

By Times Online and PA News | September 4, 2006

Eight men were remanded in custody today after appearing at the Old Bailey in connection with the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airliners.

The men, aged between 19 and 28, appeared before Mrs Justice Rafferty by videolink, charged with conspiracy to murder and preparing an act of terrorism.

The eight defendants sat, arms folded, in lines, watching the proceedings through two screens from Belmarsh Prison. Each spoke only to identify himself as the 28-minute hearing got under way.

The men listened intently as the judge heard discussion from barristers on the potential timeframe for the case, which, the court heard, is not expected to reach trial until early 2008.

Each man is charged with one offence of conspiracy to murder under the Criminal Law Act 1977 and a second charge under the Terrorism Act 2006 alleging that they were preparing to smuggle the component parts of improvised explosive devices on to aircraft and assemble and detonate them on board.

The men - Tanvir Hussain, 25, of no fixed address; Umar Islam, 28, of east London; Arafat Waheed Khan, 25, from Walthamstow, east London; Ahmed Abdullah Ali, also 25, from Walthamstow; Ibrahim Savant, 25, from north London; Waheed Zaman, 22, from Walthamstow; Assad Ali Sarwar, 26, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire; and 19-year-old Adam Khatib, from Walthamstow - were all remanded in custody for two weeks.

The eight who appeared at the Old Bailey today were among 24 people arrested as part of an operation launched on the night of August 9/10. Of these, 14 have been charged over the alleged plot.

Four people have so far been released without charge, a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is facing a separate terrorism charge which does not relate to the alleged conspiracy, and five others are still being questioned by police about the alleged plot.

The judge agreed to adjourn today’s case for two weeks after hearing that three other defendants are due to appear at the Old Bailey facing the same charges on September 18.

There were no applications for bail from the eight men’s barristers.