Men who plotted ‘mass murder’ of Jewish community in terror attack jailed for life
The men plotted to open fire on a march against anti-semitism in what could have been ‘one of the deadliest attacks’ the UK has ever seen
The men who plotted a mass shooting that could have resulted in “one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities” in the UK have been handed life sentences.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, hatched a plan to smuggle four high-powered military-grade AK-47 rifles, two pistols and 900 rounds of ammunition into the UK and unleash what police chiefs said could have been Britain’s deadliest terrorist incident.
Alongside Amar Hussein, 52, he had intended to cause “untold harm” and open fire on a march against antisemitism in Manchester city centre, before moving to attack an area of the city occupied predominantly by the Jewish community.
But their plot was foiled after Walid Saadaoui shared his deadly preparations with a man he believed shared his ideology online. Unbeknownst to him, Walid Saadaoui was actually in contact with an undercover operative – later identified in court proceedings as “Farouk” to protect his identity.
Saadaoui and Hussein were jailed at Preston Crown Court for life with minimum terms of 37 years and 26 years respectively on Friday.
Sentencing, Mr Justice Wall told the defendants that if the plot had succeeded, it would “likely have been one of the deadliest terror attacks ever carried out on British soil”.
He said: “I am sure this would have led to the deaths of many people and serious injuries to many, many more.
“Your plan envisaged you and two others discharging AK-47s into a large crowd of marchers, who were unarmed and defenceless; 120 bullets could have been discharged before any reloads were required. You planned to have spare magazines available.
“Your attack would have led to the deaths of people of all ages, including children.”
Prosecutors said Walid Saadaoui had moved to the North West in 2022 and made several unsuccessful attempts to purchase guns online before he met Farouk.
He was also found to have posted ISIS propaganda on numerous Facebook accounts and encouraged others to take up weapons “in the name of the Islamic State”.
In his communications with the undercover officer, he shared his admiration for Hamid Al Abaoud, the leader of the 2015 Paris attacks. He also told Farouk of his desire to attack Jewish people and covertly joined a North West Jewish Facebook page to follow events.
He also recruited Hussein, a fellow IS sympathiser, to conduct reconnaissance and monitor the arrivals of the weapons.
The two would-be terrorists believed that Farouk could import automatic firearms from abroad, and welcomed him into their deadly fold. He infiltrated the group, learning that the pair embraced the ideology of the so-called Islamic State and intended to carry out attacks in response to alleged atrocities conducted by Israeli troops following October 2023.
Saadaoui told Farouk he could independently obtain a firearm via Sweden and indicated he was looking to bring guns from eastern Europe. Separately he had bought an air weapon and had visited a shooting range.
The would-be terrorists travelled to Dover, Kent, in March 2024 to conduct hostile reconnaissance on how a weapon could be smuggled through the port without detection.
A safe house was also secured in Bolton for the storage of the weapons as both men returned to Dover two months later where they believed they were watching the firearms coming into the country.
Farouk also learned Walid Saadaoui had discussed his plans with his brother, Bilel Saadaoui.
Walid Saadaoui was arrested by counter terrorism police in May 2024 after attempting to take possession of two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and almost 200 rounds of ammunition.
Following a trial at Preston Crown Court, Walid Saadaoui and Hussein were convicted of making preparations to commit a large-scale terrorist attack, while Walid Saadaoui's younger brother Bilel Saadaoui, 36, was convicted of failing to disclose to authorities the information he knew about their plans.
Walid Saadaoui, of Abram, Wigan, and Hussein, of no fixed address, were given life sentences on Friday.
Saadaoui’s brother Bilel, of Hindley, Wigan was found guilty of failing to disclose information about the terror plan.
He was sentenced to six years in jail with an extended licence period of 12 months.
Mr Justice Wall commended the bravery of UCO Farouk. He told the court: “His is a dangerous and difficult job. He undertook it with great skill and patience.
“He has potentially saved many lives by putting his own life on the line.
“I am not allowed to know his true identity, but I hope the remarks I make are passed on to him.”
Frank Ferguson, head of the special crime and counter terrorism division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a deeply disturbing plot inspired by extremist ideology. Had these terrorists succeeded, it would have led to mass murder and been one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities in this country.
“The investigation and prosecution deployed a highly trained witness who made sure their plot did not succeed and secured valuable evidence directly from the mouths of the terrorists. This laid bare their intention to destroy lives, their long-held attitudes and beliefs as well as their ISIS credentials. We worked closely with counter-terrorism officers to ensure the strongest possible case was built from the outset and presented in court to the jury, resulting in these convictions.
“Terrorism is an attack on the very fabric of our society. We will always use the law to protect communities from harm and relentlessly hold offenders to account, making sure they face the toughest legal consequences for their actions.”
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks