Back from war zone, terror suspect free to walk our streets

A SUSPECTED extremist is walking Britain’s streets despite being arrested on the Syrian border. Waheed Ahmed, 21, and eight relatives, including a one-year-old, were picked up by Turkish police who feared they planned to join Islamic State terrorists.

They were all deported and Ahmed, a student whose father is a Labour councillor, is now a regular sight in rochdale. He is one of a number of suspected extremists released without charge in Britain after being stopped at the border. Ahmad Mohammadi and Shahid Miah, both 24, have been allowed continue at university after allegedly travelling to the war-torn state to join IS. It is thought they wanted to be with Cardiffborn reyaad Khan and Nasser Muthana who appeared in an IS recruitment video.

Khan, 21, died in a UK drone strike on Syria in August – one of an estimated 45 Britons thought to have been killed in Syria and Iraq.

Around 700 Britons have thought to have travelled to join IS including teenage girls.

Around 450 have returned home. Police say the returnees pose a significant threat yet only a handful have been prosecuted. Instead they are being referred to the government’s Prevent strategy which aims to deradicalise extremists and change their thinking.

Campaigners say the courts should instead hand out mandatory jail sentences.

Eddie reid, 67, a campaigner for Help for Heroes, said: ‘Everyone is shocked that Ahmed and his relatives went off to join IS and on their return they are able to waltz around as if nothing had happened.

‘They wanted to join a terrorist organisation whose sole aim is to wipe out the West and yet he is able to return and resume his university studies.’

A rochdale neighbour, 73, said: ‘It is a disgrace. His father is a councillor and represents the people of rochdale yet he has a son who’d clearly like us all dead. It is outrageous that he should be allowed to walk the streets, grinning from ear to ear, as if it was some great adventure or a lark.’

Another resident said: ‘The law protects people like Ahmed but how can we ever be safe if people like him go unpunished? It’s ridiculous – at the very least he should be made to attend the government’s deradicalisation programme.’ Anti-terror police believed Ahmed had been radicalised and they arrested and questioned him when he returned to the UK from Turkey.

But the politics student was released without charge.

His father Shakil, who has been pictured with former Labour leader Ed Miliband, said he did not know his son was in Turkey and thought he was working in Birmingham.

Mr Ahmed, who sits on rochdale Borough Council, said: ‘My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain. If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities.’

Asked by the Sun on Sunday about his alleged bid to enter an IS-controlled area of Syria, Ahmed replied: ‘I only went to Turkey. I’m just going to the mosque. I go five times a day to pray.’

Earlier this month university student Ednane Mahmood, 19, was convicted of terrorism offences after he travelled to the Turkish/Syrian border aiming to cross and fight for IS.

Before he left Britain he penned a goodbye letter to his family telling them of his plans but was ordered to return home by his brother and was then arrested and charged.

Convicted of planning acts of terrorism and disseminating terrorist publications after a trial at Manchester Crown Court, he will be sentenced next month.

The youngest known IS recruits are twins Zahra and Salma Halane, 16, who fled their home in Chorlton, Manchester, in July 2014 to marry jihadi fighters in Syria.

The Somali-born pair – gifted students with 28 GCSES between them – dreamed of becoming doctors like their older sister.

They sneaked out of the family home at night, boarded a flight to Turkey and were helped across the border. They have since used social media to voice their support of terror attacks in France.

Zahra is understood to have married Briton Ali Kalantar, 19, from Coventry, who was later killed in fighting.

Salma’s husband also died in an attack.

Peter McKay – Page 17

‘Grinning from ear to ear’