Al-Qa'ida terror cell members jailed for 'dirty bomb' plot

Seven members of an al-Qa'ida-run terrorist cell were jailed for a total of 136 years yesterday for their part in plans to kill thousands of people in America and the United Kingdom.

The seven men, who all grew up in the UK, played roles as couriers, drivers and counter-surveillance operatives in an attempt to throw the security services off the scent. In charge of the group, the court heard, was an al-Qaida "general", Dhiren Barot.

Related articles

• How an introverted boy fell under the spell of a militant
• Search the news archive for more stories

Sentencing the men at Woolwich Crown Court, Mr Justice Butterfield told them: "Barot was the instigator of this terrorist planning; he was by some considerable distance the principal participant in the conspiracy. Each one of you was recruited by Barot and assisted him at his request."

Abdul Aziz Jalil, 34, from Luton, Bedfordshire, was jailed for 26 years; Junade Feroze, 31, from Blackburn, Lancashire, for 22 years and Mohammed Naveed Bhatti, 27, from Harrow, north London and Nadeem Tarmohamed, 29, from Willesden, north-west London, for 20 years each. Zia Ul Haq, 28, from Paddington, west London, was given 18 years and Omar Abdur Rehman, 23, from Bushey, Hertfordshire, and Qaisar Shaffi, 28, from Willesden, north-west London, 15 years each.

Shaffi was convicted of conspiracy to murder after a month-long trial which ended earlier this week. The other six pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life.

Barot, an Indian-born Muslim convert, planned co-ordinated attacks on symbolic buildings in the US, including the New York Stock Exchange and the World Bank, the court in south-east London was told.

Blueprints for these attacks were then refined and developed into plans for a series of attacks on buildings in London and the capital's transport systems.

Although Mr Justice Butterfield acknowledged that the attacks might never have been carried out, possible targets were the Heathrow Express or a Tube train. In spring 2004, the UK plans were completed and Barot went to Pakistan to present his proposals to the al-Qa'ida leadership for support and funding, said Johnathan Laidlaw, for the prosecution. But he was arrested on his return and last year was jailed for life for plotting to kill "hundreds if not thousands" with a "dirty" radiation bomb.

Barot's team gave him the help he needed to make it possible for him to operate in this country and produce the terrorist plans, said Mr Laidlaw. "They were amongst his trusted few. They were his support team," he said.

While Barot was at "general rank", Feroze, Jalil and Tarmohamed were "lieutenants", and the others held more junior positions, the court heard. While Barot "lived in the shadows", planning the attacks, he needed the help "of those who could provide him with accommodation, false identities, access to false bank accounts, who could provide a place of storage for his plans and research material and access to computers," the barrister said.

He also needed minders and drivers - roles that Jalil, Bhatti and Feroze fulfilled at various points - and people who could look after him as he carried out reconnaissance, as well as those who were prepared to run errands for him.