Begum smuggled into Syria by spy for Canada, says book

A SPY working for Canadian intelligence smuggled Shamima Begum into Syria and Britain later conspired to cover up Canada’s role in the operation, a book has claimed.

Scotland Yard was allegedly made aware that Begum, and two of her friends from Bethnal Green, east London, were trafficked into Syria by a people smuggler working as a double agent for the Islamic State and Canada.

Canada only admitted its involvement after it became fearful of being exposed, and then asked the British to cover up its role, the book claimed.

Tasnime Akunjee, the lawyer for the Begum family, has now called for an inquiry into what police and intelligence services knew about the activities of the Canadians.

The allegations have been made in The Secret History of the Five Eyes, by Richard Kerbaj, a former security correspondent for The Sunday Times. The book, seen by The Times, is to be published tomorrow and is based on interviews with world leaders and intelligence officials. It claims Canada had recruited as an agent Mohammed al-rashed, a human trafficker, when he applied for asylum at the Canadian embassy in Jordan. Rashed is believed to have helped dozens of jihadists and their brides get into Syria. Kerbaj’s book alleges that Canada realised its cover could be blown when Turkey arrested Rashed in 2015.

Mr Akunjee, said Britain had “been co-operating with a western ally, trading sensitive intelligence with them whilst they have effectively been nabbing British children and trafficking them across the Syrian border for delivery to Isis all in the name of intelligence-gathering”.

Begum, now 23, is living in a camp in northern Syria. She is due to renew her case to return to Britain in November.

‘They have effectively been nabbing British children and trafficking them across the Syrian border’

She was 15 when she went to Syria in 2015. She was later stripped of her British citizenship.

A Canadian Security Intelligence Service spokesman told The Times the service could not publicly comment on or confirm or deny the specifics of its investigations, operational interests, methodologies and activities.

A UK Government spokesman said: “It is our long-standing policy that we do not comment on operational intelligence or security matters.”.