Cyber jihadist’s Bond gadget

A JIHADI hacker who hid secrets in a James Bond-style cufflink ran a terror technology operation from his bedroom, a court heard.

Samata Ullah, 34, appeared at the Old Bailey to be sentenced after he admitted five terror offences, including membership of Isil and training and preparing for acts of terror.

At the time of his arrest in Cardiff in September last year, Ullah had a USB cufflink with a Linux operating system loaded on to it to conceal a hoard of extremist data.

Prosecutor Brian Altman QC said: “The prosecution says this defendant represents a new and dangerous breed of terrorist; a cyber terrorist. However, in mitigation, Ben Emmerson QC told the court that Ullah – who is autistic – was living in a “fantasy” world.

He was one of a group of people who called themselves “Isis fan boys”, akin to armchair revolutionaries, he said.

The lawyer said: “In that world Mr Ullah had created an avatar – a false online persona – from which this socially isolated and challenged man was able to derive a sense of importance that took him outside his lonely impoverished life he was leading.”

The sentencing hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.