Luton 'extremist' convicted of terrorism offences after bomb-making manual found on his phone

A man from Luton has been convicted of terrorism offences at the Old Bailey after detectives found extremist material on his mobile phone.

Mohammed Adnan Saleem, of Montrose Avenue, Luton, had banned documents – including a bomb-making manual and a file on explosives – after an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).

The 22-year-old was found guilty of three counts of Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in court yesterday (March 14).

He was arrested by ERSOU officers in May 2020, when investigators seized two mobile phones, a laptop, digital storage devices and a games console. Digital forensic experts examined the devices and found banned documents and extremist material.

Saleem was charged with eight counts of collecting or possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. A jury found him guilty of three of these counts following a three-week trial at the Old Bailey. He is due to be sentenced on April 28.

Hannah Wilkinson, head of ERSOU’s Counter Terrorism Policing unit, said: “Throughout our enquiries it was clear that Saleem held a dangerous extremist mindset, downloading Islamist propaganda and speaking to others about his views on jihad.

“In addition, he sought to use encrypted communications tools to hide his activity, which demonstrates that he knew his actions were wrong.

She urged anyone who thinks a loved one has started to hold extremist views or is showing signs of radicalisation to act right away.

Bedfordshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, Sharn Basra, said: “There is no place in Bedfordshire for those who hold extremist views. We work closely with our partners through Prevent to help reduce the risk of people of all ages and backgrounds from being radicalised into holding extreme ideological views.”

Sharn continued: “Our communities are our eyes and ears for this, so if you think someone you know may be being radicalised, it’s important you take action and speak out.”