London killer’s sister and her husband work at Heathrow
Couple suspended as a precaution
THE sister and brother-in-law of terror mastermind Khuram Butt work in security at Heathrow Airport, the Daily Mirror can reveal.
Haleema Butt and husband Usman Darr have been suspended as a precautionary measure although there is no suggestion that the couple have done anything wrong.
Heathrow bosses, in conjunction with police and security services, have launched an investigation.
Security jobs at Britain’s airports are subject to strict screening procedures.
A source close to the family said: “Haleema and Usman are not extreme at all. They’re really upset about what Khuram did.
“Haleema would never wear a headscarf, unless she was with Khuram because she knew how he was. They were all worried about him.”
Haleema, 28, was questioned by police for two days after Butt, 27, and two accomplices murdered eight people in the London Bridge attacks last Saturday. She was later released without charge.
The mum-of-two grew up in East London with her brother but moved across the capital to the north west of the capital after she married Usman, who has worked in security at Heathrow for several years, around seven years ago. But she would regularly return to visit Butt and their mother at her family home in Plaistow. The source said: “She had been working at Heathrow properly for about 10 days but before that had been being trained for about four weeks. She was very, very close to Khuram.” Haleema was nowhere to be seen at her home yesterday. A member of the family reported her brother to the security services six months ago, it was claimed. The source added: “He stopped going to any family weddings or events because they weren’t segregated. Another relative of theirs married a white woman and when he brought her to the family home Khuram locked himself in the back and started praying loudly. He was very agitated because she was not covered.
“She was very uncomfortable and eventually had to leave. The mum said, ‘it’s OK that’s just what he’s like.’”
Butt and Haleema are believed to have arrived in the UK as children from Pakistan. They have at least one more sibling. Their father ran a fruit and veg stall in East London but died in 2003 when they were teenagers.
Butt was shot dead by police along with Rachid Redouane, 30, and Italian Youssef Zaghba, 22, after their rampage, which also left 48 people injured. Of those, 15 were still critical last night.
He is believed to have turned towards violent jihad in his early 20s and was known to MI5 as a key figure in al-Muhajiroun, a group of extremists in support of Islamic State.
He also appeared in Channel 4 documentary The Jihadis Next Door.
A Heathrow spokesman said last night: “Our top priority is always the safety and security of our passengers and colleagues.
“In co-ordination with the authorities, an investigation is under way and as a precautionary measure, we have taken action to suspend two individuals.