British bomb plotters targeted pubs and trains, trial hears

A TERRORIST cell allegedly linked to al-Qaida planned to blow up pubs, nightclubs and trains in a bombing campaign in Britain, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.

Some members of the seven-strong gang, all British citizens, had trained at terror camps in Pakistan where they hatched the plot after practising with ammonium nitrate and aluminium powder.

The plot to kill and maim is said to have involved 600kg of ammonium nitrate fertiliser and they planned to smuggle detonators into the UK through Belgium hidden in small radios, the court heard.

Prosecutor David Waters QC said that two of the alleged plotters claimed to be working for al-Qaida’s “number three”.

He said: “Most of the necessary components were in place and all that remained before their plans achieved their ultimate goal was for the target or targets to be finally agreed.”

One of the defendants, Waheed Mahmood, had been working for utilities firm National Grid Transco which was “of significance in this case”, he added.

The company operates the high voltage electricity system in England and Wales and the high pressure gas system in Britain.

The aim of the plot was “at the very least to destroy a strategic plant within the UK or more realistically to kill and injure citizens of the UK”, Mr Waters said.

A “great deal of preparation” had been done in Pakistan but the targets were to be in the UK, he said.

In July 2003 members of the group travelled to a training camp in Kalam posing as tourists visiting lakes and glaciers, even taking photographs of themselves.

At the camp they carried out a successful explosion using between 0.5kg and 1kg of ammonium nitrate, and aluminium powder, and making a U-shaped hole under the ground.

They also used false names in Pakistan, the court heard. One of the defendants used the name Hamza and codes were used in emails, including referring to detonators as “cigarettes”.

Omar Khyam, 24, from Crawley, West Sussex was said to be “at the centre of operations”.

The other defendants are his brother Shujah Mahmood, 19; Waheed Mahmood, 34, and Jawad Akbar, 22; all from Crawley, West Sussex. The other suspects are Anthony Garcia, 23, of Ilford, east London; student Nabeel Hussain, 20, of Horley, Surrey, and Salahuddin Amin, 31, from Luton, Bedfordshire.

They deny conspiring to cause explosions between January 1, 2003, and March 31, 2004.

Khyam, Garcia and Hussain also deny a charge under the Terrorism Act 2000 of possession an article for terrorism - the 600kg of ammonium nitrate fertiliser.

Brothers Omar Khyam and Shuja Mahmood also deny having aluminium powder for terrorism.

A Canadian man Mohammed Momin Khawaja is awaiting trial there over the plot. Another alleged member of the cell, Mohammed Babar, a Pakistani-born American citizen who has pleaded guilty in New York to a role in the “British bomb plot”, is expected to give evidence.