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Christmas bomb plot: nine men remanded over plan to 'blow up Big Ben and Westminster Abbey'

Nine alleged terrorists plotted a Christmas bombing campaign targeting sites that included the London Stock Exchange and Big Ben, a court heard.

They are alleged to have carried out reconnaissance missions before deciding on their possible targets.

Police were said to have found a list of six sites, including the full postal address of the Stock Exchange, Boris Johnson’s London mayoral office and the US embassy.

Defendants were seen studying the tower of Big Ben, before inspecting Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and the Church of Scientology.

Al-Qaeda inspired books and leaflets, including instructions on making a pipe bomb, were also uncovered during the counter-terrorism operation.

Details of the alleged plot were outlined at City of Westminster magistrates’ court.

The defendants, aged 19 to 28, were charged on Sunday with conspiracy to cause an explosion and conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism, having been arrested during early-morning raids in Cardiff, London and Stoke-on-Trent on Dec 20.

Piers Arnold, prosecuting, said the list of landmarks was found during police searches. “A handwritten note was found next to a computer with six contact details handwritten. They included the name, full address and post codes,” he said.

Among the details were the addresses of the Dean of St Paul’s Chapter House and of two rabbis at separate synagogues.

A reconnaissance trip is alleged to have been made from Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall to Westminster Bridge where Big Ben was studied intently.

A mobile phone had appeared to be raised and pointed towards the clock tower, the court heard.

Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye were also closely examined before the Church of Scientology near Blackfriars was allegedly observed intently for some minutes.

The journey ended with a meal in a McDonald’s fast food restaurant, the court heard.

Police searches are said to have uncovered two issues of the al Qaeda extremist magazine Inspire, which is published in English in Yemen and is aimed at a Western audience. An article in issue one was entitled “How to make a pipe bomb in the kitchen of your mom”, while issue two included “What to expect in jihad” and “Tips for our brothers in the US”.

Other allegedly extremist material found was entitled 39 Ways which said it was intended to help people “serve and participate in jihad”.

Anwar Al-Awlaki, the extremist Yemeni preacher whose teachings support and encourage violent jihad against the West, is alleged to be the inspiration for the plot, the court heard. Between Oct 1 and Dec 20, the men are alleged to have downloaded information from the internet, discussed acts

of terrorism and tested explosives while “unlawfully and maliciously” conspiring to “endanger life or cause serious injury” with one or more explosions.

The first defendants to appear before Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle were Mohammed Chowdhury, 20, and Shah Rahman, 28, from east London.

Mr Chowdhury, wearing a white hooded top with shoulder-length hair and a goatee beard, was the first to confirm his date of birth and home address.

Neither he nor Mr Rahman, dressed in a pale blue T-shirt, black jacket and long beard, showed any emotion as the case against them was explained.

Their behaviour was in sharp contrast to that of Omar Latif and Abdul Miah, who appeared in the dock alongside Gurukanth Desai. Mr Latif, 26, and Mr Miah, 24 whispered and laughed while in the dock, with Mr Latif winking and giving a thumbs up as he was led from the court.

All three, from Cardiff, were in matching dark blue fleeces.

The court heard that Mr Miah, whose wife is expecting a baby in April, and Mr Desai, a 28-year-old father of three, were brothers.

The last four men to appear in court, including the youngest of the group, were from Stoke-on-Trent. Usman Khan, 19, Nazam Hussain, 25, Mohibur Rahman, 26, and Abul Shahjahan, 26, were brought into the dock in pairs, and listened impassively to the court proceedings.

All nine men, who are of Bangladeshi origin, were remanded in custody and are due to appear at the Old Bailey on Jan 14.

The counter-terrorism operation was led by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and supported by the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police. Three other men – two from Cardiff and one from London – were released without charge.

Sue Hemming, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, said last night: “I have reviewed the evidence provided to me by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and I am satisfied it is sufficient for a realistic prospect of conviction, and it is in the public interest that these men should be charged with these offences.”

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