Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Headline: Man jailed for terrorism offences
An investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command has led to a man being jailed for various terrorism offences, including possessing and sharing a bomb-making video.
Zana Abbas Sulieman, 27 (01.01.91) of north-west London was sentenced on Thursday, 22 February at Kingston Crown Court to a total of nine years imprisonment having pleaded guilty to possession of an article for a terrorist purpose, possession of a record of use to a terrorist, encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications.
Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Sulieman was prolific in his sharing and promotion of Daesh-related material and propaganda with his various contacts on social media. But what was of most concern was that he viewed and shared a video showing how to make a bomb, and encouraged others to follow and carry out the instructions. He was a dangerous individual and I have no doubt that the public is safer with him behind bars.”
Detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command launched an investigation in summer 2017, when they became aware of a Facebook account, which had posts and links to Daesh-related material.
Further enquiries led officers to link a number of other accounts that contained similar material and posts, with the same or very similar profile details. Eventually, officers were able to establish that the accounts were linked to Sulieman. Many of the accounts even featured the same photo of Sulieman as the profile picture.
Sulieman was arrested on 8 August 2017. Officers examined his mobile phone and found various files relating to Daesh propaganda material as well as a downloaded video that showed how to make a home-made improvised explosive device. Officers also found evidence that the video had been shared with others via social media.
In total, detectives found 32 Facebook accounts linked to Sulieman that contained terrorist-related material.
When questioned, Sulieman denied that the material on the phone was his and said that he’d only bought the phone three days earlier. However, investigating officers found that he had been stopped by a PCSO on 30 July 2017, where he provided the same phone number. This interaction was also recorded on Body Worn Video and contradicted Sulieman’s initial account that he’d only had the phone for three days.
Sulieman was charged on 15 August 2017 and he pleaded guilty to the above offences on Wednesday, 17 January.