2006 transatlantic aircraft plot suspects

According to British and American authorities, the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board several airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States. On 10 August 2006, London's Metropolitan Police announced that they had arrested key suspects, all British muslims, and that the plot had been disrupted as it was "getting close to the execution phase. The suspects planned a rehearsal within two days of the arrests, according to United States intelligence officials. Unnamed security sources said that the alleged plotters had not bought airline tickets, some did not possess passports, and the United States and United Kingdom disagreed about when to move against the suspects. Arrests were also made in Pakistan. On August 21, Scotland Yard announced that eleven people have been charged and bomb-making equipment and martyrdom videos have been recovered.

Suspects arrested in the UK

Of the 25 arrests made in the UK, the names of 19 suspects, all of them living in the UK, were formally announced when the Financial Sanctions Unit of the Bank of England froze their assets. One person was released without charge and not named. Another was arrested later but also released. The Crown Prosecution Service announced on 21 August that 11 of those arrested would be charged: eight with conspiracy to murder and preparing acts of terrorism. Two more were charged with failing to disclose information and one 17 year old with possession of articles useful to someone preparing acts of terrorism. One woman was released without charge. Brothers Mehran and Umair Hussain were released on 1 November 2006 due to insufficient evidence.

Out of the 25 who were arrested in the UK, the names of 21 were released:

London

1. Ahmed Abdullah Ali, born 10 October 1980 (Walthamstow, London E17). Was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
2. Cossor Ali born 14 December 1982, (Walthamstow) is a 23-year old mother of an eight-month-old baby. She was charged with having information which she knew or believed might be of material assistance in preventing the commission of another person namely, Ahmed Abdullah Ali, of an act of terrorism and failed to disclose it as soon as reasonably practicable. Contrary to Section 38B (1) (a) and (2) of the Terrorism Act 2000.
3. Mehran Hussain was charged with having information which he knew or believed might be of material assistance in preventing the commission of another person namely, Nabeel Hussain, of an act of terrorism and failed to disclose it as soon as reasonably practicable. He was released on 1 November when a District Judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to try him.
4. Nabeel Hussain, born 10 March 1984, (Chingford, London E4). He was charged with conspiracy to murder and terrorism on 29 August2006.
5. Tanvir Hussain, born 21 February 1981, (Leyton, London E10). Was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
6. Umair Hussain, born 9 October 1981, (Walthamstow), brother of Mehran Hussain. A hospital administrator, recently visited Pakistan with his grandmother, friends say. He was arrested on 9 August and charged on 24 August 2006, under section 38b of the Terrorism Act 2000 with failing to disclose information about his brother Nabeel Hussain. He was released on 1 November when a District Judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to try him, although he remains on the financial sanctions list, unlike his brother who was never listed there.
7. Mohammed Yasar Gulzar was charged with conspiracy to murder and terrorism on 29 August2006.
8. Assan Abdullah Khan, born 24 October 1984, (Walthamstow). Assan is studying at the University of Hertfordshire.
9. Arafat Waheed Khan, born 18 May 1981, (Walthamstow) lived with his younger brother Assan at a semi-detached house The brothers were known locally as proficient amateur mechanics who helped to fix neighbours’ cars. Waheed is married with a baby. They prayed daily at a mosque close to their home. He was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
10. Adam Khatib, born 7 December 1986, (Walthamstow) was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006
11. Abdul Muneem Patel, born 17 April 1989, (Clapton, London E5)
12. Mohammed Usman Saddique, born 23 April 1982, (Walthamstow) 24, worked at his brother’s pizza restaurant. Nicknamed Uzi, he is “highly educated” and a fitness fanatic, say friends, but had a rebellious streak. Police took videos and computer disks from his house.
13. Ibrahim Savant (formerly Oliver Savant), born 19 December 1980, (Walthamstow) was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
14. Amin Asmin Tariq, born 7 June 1983, (Walthamstow) He is an airline employee who has a 24-hour, all-areas pass at Heathrow airport. He had transferred to Jet Airways in March 2006 from G4S. Jet Airways has suspended him pending further investigation.
15. Shamin Mohammed Uddin, born 22 November 1970, (Stoke Newington, London). The former bodybuilder is understood to have suffered from mental illness after a violent assault which temporarily left him in a coma. He was charged on 29 August 2006 with conspiracy to commit murder and terrorism.
16. Waheed Zaman, born 27 May 1984, (Walthamstow) is a final year biomedical science student at London Metropolitan University. He is president of the college Islamic society and lives opposite the Queen’s Road mosque where at least eight of the suspects are believed to have worshipped. Friends say he was too busy revising for exams to be a bomb plotter. A Tabligh Jamaat follower, the group’s preachers regularly visited the mosque where most of those arrested in East London worshipped. He was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.

High Wycombe

1. Shazad Khuram Ali, born 11 June 1979 Runs a car trading company which is believed to have employed fellow suspect Assad Sarwar. Accounts show that the company made an £11,000 loss last year. Neighbours have complained about the building of a makeshift mosque in his back garden. Recently visited Pakistan.
2. Umar Islam (formerly Brian Young), born 23 April 1978 was a ticket inspector on London buses during the 7 July 2005 London bombings when he helped search for bombs on other buses and assisted victims of the Tavistock Square bus bomb to safety. He was charged with conspiracy to murder and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.
3. Waseem Kayani, born 28 April 1977 A taxi driver who lived with his parents and wore western clothes. Neighbours say he had a pronounced limp and had shaved his head while retaining his long beard. He recently returned from Pakistan with a new bride.
4. Assad Sarwar, born 24 May 1980 is said by his family to have become a Tabligh follower after dropping out of university. His brother, Amjad, said: “He was at Tablighi Jamaat, which is a sect in Islam which encourages the youth to grow beards, pray five times a day and, how the Prophet lived on a daily basis, that’s how you should run your life. He got actively involved in that and thought that religion is more important than study.” He was charged with conspiracy to murder, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, and with preparing acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006. Amjad Sarwar was falsely implicated in the plot by the Guardian, the Observer, the News of the World, the Mirror, the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, the Evening Standard, the Independent, the Times, the Daily Express and the Daily Star; the publishers of these newspapers apologised and paid him £170,000 compensation on 28 November 2006.
5. Abdul Waheed (formerly Don Stewart-Whyte) (not on the bank's list), born ca. 1986. Son of a former Tory agent, half brother of model Heather Stewart-Whyte, a successful model who lives in North London. She has said that she has never met her half-brother.

Birmingham

1. Tayib Rauf, born 26 April 1984. Released on 24 August 2006.

Suspects arrested in Pakistan

• Islamabad
• Rashid Rauf, said to be an al Qaeda operative and ringleader of the plot. The terrorism charges against him were dropped in December.
• A second un-named British national of Pakistani descent is also being held.
• Five Pakistani nationals were arrested and held at the same time.

Financial sanctions

The names of the 19 individuals to which financial sanctions were to be applied was published on 11 August. The names of 18 are: Abdula Ahmed Ali, Shazad Khuram Ali, Cossor Ali, Nabeel Hussain, Tanvir Hussain, Umair Hussain, Umar Islam, Waseem Kayani, Assan Abdullah Khan, Waheed, Arafat Khan, Osman Adam Khatib, Tayib Rauf, Muhammed Usman Saddique, Assad Sarwar, Ibrahim Savant, Amin Asmin Tariq, Shamin Mohammed Uddin, Waheed Zaman. A 19th individual's name was redacted in a revision of the order on 24 August because he was under 18.

References