A woman from east London has been found guilty after she failed to alert the police about a potential terror plot that she was aware of.
Tasnia Ahmed, 21, of Tower Hamlets, was first identified by Counter Terrorism detectives while they were investigating a man suspected of being involved in terror-related activities.
The man, Al Arfat Hassan, was sentenced in February after being convicted of collecting information likely to be used for terrorism and possession of chemicals for terrorism purposes.
During his probe, officers discovered thousands of messages between Hassan and a woman- now identified as Ahmed.
Between November 2021 and March 2022, Hassan had reportedly revealed his intention and desire to carry out terror attacks in messages to Ahmed.
The duo had also discussed his extremist views and ideas. Instead of alerting the police about the potential terror threat as required by law, Ahmed was found appearing to encourage Hassan.
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Hassan was arrested by police in March 2022, and even as Ahmed knew of this, she did not disclose the information about Hassan’s terrorist plans to the officers.
Ahmed was also said to keep mum when officers carried out a search at her home address. She was interviewed as a caution by officers in June 2022 and the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against her in July 2022.
She was found guilty of two counts of failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism to the police, in breach of the laws under Terrorism Act 2000 on Thursday (April 25) after a trial at Woolwich Crown Court. She is due to be sentenced on Monday (June 3).
Detective Chief Superintendent Gareth Rees, Head of operations for the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said Ahmed had clear knowledge of Hassan’s extremist views and his plans to carry out some sort of attack.
He added: “Anyone who has that kind of information must tell police, because, ultimately, it could potentially prevent a terrible attack from happening and help save lives.
“Ahmed chose not to do this, and she is now facing the very serious consequences of that decision.
“We would urge anyone who may find themselves in a similar position not to hesitate and to call police immediately with any concerns.”
Anyone with information about potential terrorist activity can report it, in confidence, by calling police on 0800 789 321, or online via www.gov.uk/ACT .
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