See the man who planned to kill 2,000 Brits with bomb
Birmingham terror gang ringleader jailed for life: 23 stone of pure evil plotted to kill 2,000 Brits
The men, part of an eleven-strong cell from Birmingham, wanted to plant up to eight rucksack nail bombs in crowded places
Jeremy Williams
A bloated terrorist taped boasting about how many people he would murder was warned today he may never be released if he does not give up his “far end of extreme” beliefs.
Irfan Naseer, 31, was jailed for life for plotting to kill 2,000 people in Britain.
The 23-stone Liverpool fan and henchmen Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali, both 28, hoped to rival the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
Their plan - which had the blessing of al Qaeda - was foiled by MI5 and undercover police who carried out round-the-clock surveillance on the gang.
The trio were convicted of plotting terrorism after a 18-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court, South East London.
The men, part of an eleven-strong cell from Birmingham, wanted to plant up to eight rucksack nail bombs in crowded places.
The gang aimed to use mobile phones to detonate explosives hidden in crowded stations and shopping centres.
Khalid was taped gloating: “This is going to shake them, all the kafir (non-believers) that go to the pub. We’ll hit them in their own country.”
Detectives said the British-born trio were “deadly serious” in their determination to kill.
Convicted: Irfan Khalid, Irfan Naseer and Ashik Ali
They lived on benefits and funded their terror activities by raking in £12,000 in bogus Muslim Aid collections in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham.
Trained chemist Naseer bragged that the attacks would be a strike against Westerners who wanted to “have sex like donkeys on the street”.
He added: “They wanna club, act like animals and why shouldn’t we terrorise them, tell me that? Think about it.
"If someone came in your house and started dancing and basically having orgies and smoking drugs and stuff... you would terrorise them, innit?”
Naseer and Khalid spent 15 months at terrorist training camps in Pakistan and made chilling martyrdom videos ahead of the planned attacks.
Other schemes they discussed included smearing poison on cars, attaching blades to vehicles to mow down pedestrians and attacking synagogues.
Police swooped as the gang gathered to build rucksack bombs at a safe house in Birmingham in September 2011.
Naseer was found guilty of five charges of preparing for terrorist acts and given five life sentences.
He muttered under his breath as he was told he must serve at least 18 years before being considered for release.
Mr Justice Henriques told him: “ You are a person whose beliefs are at the far end of extreme. You plotted mass murder.
“You agreed terrorist attacks on such a scale that for the whole world there would be an anniversary and would be remembered.
"Your release may be many years later, particularly if you continue to pursue your present ideals.”
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Birmingham Terror
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Khalid, found guilty of four charges of preparing for terrorist acts, was jailed for 18 years. Ali, convicted of three charges of preparing for terrorist acts, was locked up for 15 years.
Four jihadists sent by Naseer to Pakistan for terror training all admitted engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts.
Shahid Khan and Ishaaq Hussain, both 21, Khobaib Hussain, 22, and Naweed Ali, 25, were jailed for 40 months.
The gang’s chief financier, Rahin Ahmed, 27, admitted collecting and managing money for terrorism and assisting others to travel to Pakistan for training in terrorism He was jailed for 12 years.
Bahader Ali, 34, was jailed for six years after admitting engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts. Mohammed Rizwan, 29, was sentenced to four years after admitting the same offence.
Mujahid Hussain, 21, was also locked up for four years after pleading guilty to entering into a funding arrangement for the purpose of terrorism
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