BBC : Court sees CCTV 'bomb purchases'

Court sees CCTV 'bomb purchases'

April 17, 2008

A trial into an alleged plot to blow up transatlantic planes has seen CCTV footage showing alleged gang members buying potential bomb-making materials.

Filmed evidence played in Woolwich Crown Court showed Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Tanvir Hussain and Arafat Waheed Khan buying goods at shops across London.

Eight men are accused of planning to detonate home-made bombs, disguised as soft drinks, on several flights.

All deny conspiring to murder and endangering planes in August 2006.

Surgical needles

They are alleged to have been planning to detonate bombs mid-air on flights from London to cities across North America, including Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Washington.

The court saw footage of some of the defendants purchasing goods in north, east and central London.

Richard Whittam, prosecuting, outlined a detailed hour-by-hour chronology of the men's movements in late July, just weeks before they were arrested.

Mr Hussain was documented as buying Lucozade and Oasis drinks at Tesco in Leyton, east London, on the evening of 25 July.

And he was observed by an undercover police officer on the following day purchasing surgical needles.

'Overheard' comments

The court saw footage of Mr Ali and Mr Hussain entering a Wickes hardware store in Edmonton, north London, on 27 July.

Mr Ali was seen looking at masonry nails and pipe lagging and an officer allegedly heard him say: "If we need to attach it we will nail it not screw it."

Among other evidence presented, the court was shown footage of Mr Khan buying items at John Bell & Croyden in Wigmore Street, central London on 26 July.

The defendants are Assad Sarwar, 24, Mr Hussain, 27, of Leyton, east London, and Mr Ali, 27, Waheed Zaman, 23, and Mr Khan, 26, all of Walthamstow, east London.

Also charged are Mohammed Gulzar, 26, of Barking, east London, Ibrahim Savant, 27, of Stoke Newington, north London, and Umar Islam, 29, of Plaistow, east London.

The trial continues.