British police arrest fugitive terrorism suspect

LONDON (Reuters) – A former British soldier suspected of terrorism offenses who escaped from prison earlier this week was recaptured in London on Saturday, police said.

Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, escaped from Wandsworth Prison in London on Wednesday morning after escaping from the prison kitchen where he was working and tying himself to the bottom of a food delivery truck.

“Officers arrested him shortly before 11:00 am (10:00 GMT) today… in the Chiswick area (west London) and he is currently in police custody,” a police statement said. .

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, speaking to reporters at the G20 meeting in New Delhi, thanked police and the public for their help in finding Khalife.

Khalife, who was discharged from the British Army in May, was in prison ahead of trial for terrorism-related offenses and the Official Secrets Act.

He is accused of obtaining or attempting to obtain information that could be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism while in a barracks in central England in 2021, and of staging a bomb hoax by placing three canisters with cables on a desk.

He is also accused of obtaining information that could be “directly or indirectly useful to an enemy.” The BBC reported that he was accused of collecting intelligence for Iran.

Opposition lawmakers have demanded answers about how Khalife was able to escape and why he was not being held in a maximum security prison. There are also questions about the jail’s staffing and security procedures.

The search for Khalife meant beefed up security checks at UK ports and airports, which has caused delays for passengers.

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