The driverless car terror plot
Iraqis ‘planned to detonate bomb with laptop’
TWO Iraqi terror suspects accused of the UK’s first bomb plot using a driverless car to remotely detonate explosives appeared in court yesterday.
Fish and chip shop owner Andy Star, 31, and Farhad Salah, 22, both of whom it is understood will deny the charges, were arrested days before Christmas when counter-terrorism officers raided their homes.
Five days earlier, Salah, of Sheffield, is alleged to have told a friend about the bomb plot on Facebook, Westminster magistrates’ court heard.
Thomas Halpin, prosecuting, said: ‘This is a case in which the Crown say both defendants were researching, developing and manufacturing chemicals to make explosive substances so they could be used in an IED [improvised explosive device] with a view to committing attacks in the UK.’
He added: ‘ On December 14, Salah on Facebook messenger, informs a friend that they had made an IED that purportedly could be placed in a driverless car controlled by a laptop.
‘In another Facebook message, Mr Salah on December 16 informs a friend that he is intending to test the explosive on Tuesday, December 19 – the day they were arrested.’
When the terror suspects were arrested last week officers found a polystyrene pot containing a black powder with a fuse attached to it.
This was of a ‘low explosive composite, but it had the capacity to explode if ignited in a confined space’, Mr Halpin said.
A number of other plastic bags, tubs and copper piping were recovered after raids on the suspects’ homes in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. It is not clear how the men were allegedly planning to obtain a driverless car, with the plot described by Mr Halpin as being in
‘It had the capacity to explode’
its early stages. But Sajad Chaudhury, defending Star, said he was using the nitrocellulose powder, which is commonly known as guncotton, to make fireworks for the New Year’s Eve celebrations.
The court heard that his coaccused Salah also denies sending those messages, claiming his Facebook account had been hacked.
Mr Chaudhury told the court: ‘The offence is denied and at the first opportunity at the crown court he will indicate a not guilty plea.’
He said of Star, who came to the UK in 2008 before being granted leave to remain in 2016 after setting up a fish and chip shop in Chesterfield: ‘With the items found, fuses and explosive items, you would assume this is a terrorist bomb-making factory except for when the police interviewed Andy Star he made it crystal clear, “what I have done is essentially prepare fireworks”.’
He said Star had witnesses and video footage proving he made his own fireworks at the back of his chip shop, adding: ‘He is against (Islamic State), he is against terrorist acts, against any conversation about bombings in the UK.’
Both defendants appeared wearing prison-issue tracksuits in custody yesterday via a videolink from Leeds Magistrates’ Court.
They spoke only to confirm their name, age and address, and Iraqi nationality. Both are charged jointly with a single offence of preparation to commit acts of terrorism under section five of the Terrorism Act.
Deputy Senior District Judge Tanweer Ikram said the pair’s next court hearing would be at the Old Bailey on January 19.
They were among four men arrested on December 19.
South Yorkshire Police said a 36-year- old man from Sheffield remains in custody, while a 41-yearold from the same city was released last Saturday.