Terrorist Cell Planning Lee Rigby-Style Plot Sentenced To Life

Naweed Ali, Khobaib Hussain, Mohibur Rahman and Tahir Aziz, who dubbed themselves the "Three Musketeers", have been jailed for life at the Old Bailey for plotting a Lee Rigby-style attack with large knives and a bomb.

The group were found guilty following a partly-secret trial plagued by accusations of police corruption.

The terrorist cell, from the West Midlands, sought out infamous Islamic State supporter Anjem Choudary before they prepared to strike British police and military targets.

They were arrested in August 2016 after a member of the group, Naweed Ali, had his car bugged by MI5, who uncovered a pipe bomb and meat cleaver hidden inside a JD Sports bag.

Ali, 29, Khobaib Hussain, 25, and Mohibur Rahman, 33 had claimed the incriminating evidence was planted by an undercover officer known as Vincent, who posed as the boss of a fake firm called Hero Couriers.

The trio, convicted terrorists who served time together behind bars, denied preparing an attack.

However, they were unanimously found guilty, along with late recruit Tahir Aziz, 38, who was found with a large sword stashed in his car.

The jury deliberated their verdict for 22 hours, and are still deciding on the fourth defendant Tahir Aziz, 38, who denies the charge of preparing acts of terrorism.

Ali, Hussain, and Rahman refused to leave Belmarsh Prison to attend the sentencing hearing.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones told the court that the defendants, who were influenced by the lorry attack in Nice in the south of France, were probably planning to use their cars as weapons as well as the knives and pipe bomb.

Ali, Rahman and Hussain were sentenced to a minimum term of 20 years for their 'significant role' in the planning of the attack, whilst Aziz was given a minimum of 15 years. 

Mr Justice Globe said at the trail’s conclusion:

"These attacks demonstrate in stark form the carnage that can be created by different types of terrorist attack that can be carried out with a vehicle, explosives and loaded weapons.”

"I am satisfied from the evidence and the jury verdicts, but for the intervention of the counter terrorism unit of West Midlands Police and the security services, there would have been not dissimilar terrorist acts in this country using at the very least the explosives and or one or more bladed weapons."