UK Muslim Convert Richard Dart Jailed For Terrorism

SNIPPET: "Muslim convert Richard Dart declared “judging is only for Allah” and refused to stand in the dock as he was jailed for six years for terrorism yesterday."

SNIPPET: "Mr Justice Simon said the three held “radical Islamist beliefs” and showed they were “committed to acts of terrorism”.

Dart, 30, of Ealing, west London, was jailed for six years; Mahmood, 22, from Northolt, west London for nine years and nine months, and Alom, 26, of Stratford, east London, for four years and six months."

SNIPPET: "Dart and Alom travelled to Pakistan to try to get terrorist training, and took advice from Mahmood, who had already visited the country.

Dart discussed bomb making with Mahmood, and spoke of Royal Wootton Bassett – the town which formerly received the bodies of UK troops killed abroad – as a potential target.

Police discovered fragments of text on Dart’s laptop that revealed that the pair had used the computer to have a “silent conversation” to avoid possible surveillance bugs.

They would open a Word document and take it in turns to type, before deleting the text, assuming none of it would be stored on the machine.

NOTE The following text is a quote:

content.met.police.uk/News/Three-men-jailed-for-planning-terrorism/1400016933648/1257246745756

Three men jailed for planning terrorism

25 April 2013

Three terrorists have today been jailed for a total of more than 20 years after a painstaking investigation by the MPS Counter Terrorism Command uncovered secret conversations about carrying out attacks in the UK and abroad.

Richard Dart, 30, from Ealing and Jahangir Alom, 26, from Stratford planned to travel to Pakistan for terrorist training and expressed a desire to carry out acts of terrorism not only overseas but also in the UK, the Old Bailey heard.

“This was a complex investigation carried out jointly by the Counter Terrorism Command.”

Imran Mahmood, 22, from Northolt had already received terrorist training in Pakistan and offered advice to Dart and Alom on how to make contact with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Pakistan.

He also sought Dart’s help in retrieving a book containing formulas which would allow him to produce home-made explosives and discussed targeting Wootton Bassett - through which the bodies of fallen British servicemen and woman passed through following repatriation - plus members of the security and intelligence services.

During a joint intelligence led investigation carried out by the Counter Terrorism Command and the British Security Service, Dart’s laptop computer was seized and detailed forensic investigation by detectives and a computer expert revealed typed exchanges between Dart and Mahmood hidden deep in its memory.

In an attempt to avoid surveillance the two men had conducted a silent conversation on a Microsoft Word document as they sat next to each other in Dart’s flat.

One defendant would type his comments on the Word document and then the other defendant would type his reply. This was repeated until the conversation finished. They then deleted the content thinking that it would be destroyed forever.

But through months of intensive work by detectives, and the skill of a computer expert brought in to help with the case, data was recovered from the hard drive and they were able to reconstruct it back into the words typed by the defendants, laying bare their plans.

Mr Justice Simon imposed extended sentences on Dart and Mahmood. He told them: “I’m satisfied to the required criminal standard that neither of you had ruled out an attack in the United Kingdom, and that you, Mahmood, were looking at arming yourself with a bomb.”

Dart was sentenced to 11 years which comprises of six years in custody and an extended licence period for five years, during which time he could be recalled to prison.

Mahmood was sentenced 14 years and nine months which comprises of nine years and nine months in custody and an extended licence period of five years, during which time he could be recalled to prison.

Alom was jailed for four years six months.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, Senior National Co-ordinator Counter Terrorism and head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:

“These are dangerous men. Mahmood had received terrorist training in Pakistan and suggested he had knowledge of how to make home made explosives while Dart and Alom made great efforts to travel to Pakistan and aspired to seek training from terrorist groups there.

“They all were clearly aware of anti-surveillance techniques as shown by the use of silent conversations and expressed a desire to carry out terrorist attacks.

“This was a complex investigation carried out jointly by the Counter Terrorism Command and the Security Service but mixture of dedicated, diligent traditional detective work combined with the latest technology and computer techniques brought these men to justice and made the public safer.

“This case serves as a classic example of how terrorists live in our midst while preparing their acts and their determination to travel overseas to train before returning to the UK to achieve their aims.

“It also illustrates the balance we need to achieve between maintaining public safety while gathering sufficient evidence to secure a conviction while maintaining the confidence of all our communities.”

TIMELINE

July 2010 - Mahmood travels to Pakistan where he receives terrorist training.

13 July 2011 - Alom travels to Pakistan with the intention of receiving terrorist training.

29 July 2011 - Dart travels to Pakistan with the intention of receiving terrorist training.

10 August 2011 - Alom returns from Pakistan having failed to join a terrorist training camp. Detained and questioned by police at Heathrow airport. He was not arrested.

19 August 2011 - Dart returns from Pakistan having failed to join a terrorist training camp. Detained and questioned by police at Heathrow airport. He was not arrested.

24 August 2011 - Mahmood returns to UK having been deported from Pakistan. He is detained by police at Manchester airport. He was not arrested. Two rucksacks were seized from him which were swabbed and showed traced of high explosives. His passport was also seized.

Alom and Dart, through Dart, then sought Mahmood’s guidance in making contact with terrorist groups there.

27 October 2011 - Alom books two tickets from Heathrow to Quetta via Karachi with the intention of travelling with Dart on 11 November 2011.

4 November 2011 - Phone data shows that Dart and Mahmood were in the vicinity of Dart’s flat in Ealing. They sat together using Dart’s laptop for almost two hours in silent conversation.

Analysis of the recovered fragments show Dart asking Mahmood for contacts within the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a terrorist group that was proscribed in the UK in 2011.

Mahmood acts as an advisor suggesting he can get Dart, and his travelling companion Alom, close to al-Qaeda operatives, the leaders of the TTP and terrorists who carried a suicide attack on an American base in Afghanistan in 2009 which killed seven members of the CIA.

He goes on to express his frustration of not being able to travel and asks for Dart’s help in putting him back in touch with leaders in Pakistan so he can still be involved in jihad in the UK where, in his view, “the real war is”.

He also asks Dart if he can “get hold of a certain book” which would provide the “formulas” to allow him to make home made explosives.

They also discuss potential geographical locations for attacks both in the UK and overseas with Mahmood suggesting that Wootton Bassett, the village through which the bodies of UK soldiers were repatriated, and members of the British intelligence services could be potential targets - the prosecution case stated.

11 November 2011 - Dart meets Mahmood in Ealing and appears to engage
in ‘silent conversation’ on mobile phones.

Dart and Alom were detained at Heathrow airport under Schedule 7 Port and Border Controls of the Terrorism Act 2000. They were prevented from travelling to Pakistan and £4,800 cash seized from Dart under Proceeds of Crime Act.

Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command also carried out searches of their home addresses and recovered a number of items including the laptop.

As the contents of the computer’s memory were decoded by detectives, covert inquiries continued into the men, including surveillance, during the following months.

16 February 2012 - Dart and Alom were seen to meet at a Subway restaurant in Ealing where officers overhead Dart say: “Things have to be done. It doesn’t matter even if you’re in this country or abroad, things have to be done. That’s the thing with this country, even though I’m going to be more watched, innit.” He went on to say: A lot of brothers are scared of going inside but I’m not. I don’t need brothers around me to study jihad.”

5 July 2012 - Richard Dart, Jahangir Alom and Imran Mahmood were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism by Counter Terrorism Command officers.

Dart was arrested in the street in Broadway, Ealing. Mahmood was arrested at a residential premises in Northholt. Alom was arrested at his home address in Stratford.

18 July 2012 - Dart Alom and Mahmood charged with offences contrary to Section 5 (1) of the Terrorism Act 2006.

15 March 2013 - Dart, Alom and Mahmood pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism contrary to Section 5 (1) of the Terrorism Act 2006.

++++

Full indictment:

[A] Richard Dart [22.1.83 - 30 ys] of Broadway W13;
[C] Imran Mahmood [11.8.90 - 22 ys] of Dabbs Hill Lane, Northolt;
[D] Jahangir Alom [12.6.86 - 26 ys], of Abbey Road, Stratford E15

charged:

Between 25 July 2010 and 6 July 2012, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism or assisting another to commit such acts, engaged in conduct in preparation for giving effect to his intention, namely:

i. Travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism.
ii. Travelling abroad to commit acts of terrorism.
iii. Advising and counselling the commission of terrorist acts by providing information about travel to Pakistan and terrorism training, and operational security whilst there.

Contrary to Section 5 Terrorism Act 2006.

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