Eight men accused of plotting terrorist attacks

EIGHT men appeared in the dock in London yesterday accused of plotting terrorist attacks in Britain and the United States.

Amid tight security at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court in south-east London, the men each appeared in the dock for less than 10 minutes.

All were remanded in custody until a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on August 25.

All the defendants were dressed identically in grey jogging trousers and pristine white T-shirts or jumpers.

All were dark-skinned and bearded and each spoke only to confirm their name and give their date of birth. They sat silently as charges, including conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to “cause a public nuisance by the use of radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives” were read to them by the clerk. The first defendant to be led into the dock was Abdul Aziz Jalil, 31, from Luton, Bedfordshire, who was represented by barrister Colin Wells.

He sat alone in the dock as the clerk read two charges of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit a public nuisance by using radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives.

District judge Timothy Workman told him he was being remanded in custody until August 25, when a further hearing will be held at the Old Bailey.

The next defendant to be brought in was Nadeem Tarmohammed, 26, from Willesden, London. In another brief hearing, he was read the same two charges as Jalil and a third charge under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

It said that, between February 19, 2001, and August 4, 2004, he was in possession of a “reconnaissance plan” for the Prudential Building in New Jersey and the document was “likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”.

Tarmohammed, who was represented by Rama Krishnan, was also remanded in custody until August 25 for a hearing at the Old Bailey.

Two more defendants, Zia Ul Haq, 25, from Paddington, west London, and Qaisar Shaffi, 25, from Willesden, north west London, then appeared in the dock together.

They were read the same two conspiracy charges as the other defendants.

Both were remanded to the same date in court as the other defendants.

The other four defendants, Dhiren Barot, 32, from Willesden, Mohammed Naveed Bhatti, 24, of Harrow, Middlesex, Omar Abdul Rehman, 20, of Bushey, Hertfordshire, and Junarde Feroze, 28, of Blackburn, Lancashire, were then brought into the dock.