A man has been given a life sentence and jailed for a minimum of nine years and six months' after travelling to Syria and admitting he was preparing acts of terrorism.
Following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), Shabazz Suleman of Freemantle Road, High Wycombe, admitted to preparing acts of terrorism under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, at a hearing at the Old Bailey on 14 April.
Two further charges of being a member of a proscribed organisation and receiving weapons training under Section 11 and Section 54 of the Terrorism Act 2000, will remain on file. Suleman accepted both of the charges as part of his plea and this was taken into consideration at sentencing by the judge.
The court heard how the 27-year-old's family reported him missing to police after he disappeared at the end of a family holiday to Turkey in 2014.
It transpired Suleman had used the opportunity to travel to Syria, where he joined the terrorist group, Daesh. He had expressed a desire to be trained in using weapons and had spoken about ‘committing Jihad’.
When in Syria, he received weapons training and indicated that he wanted to become a sniper. He also performed guard duties for Daesh.
Suleman was arrested in September 2021 at Heathrow Airport, on his return to the UK.
Detective Chief Superintendent Olly Wright, Head of CTPSE, said: “This has been a complex investigation which has taken several years to piece together and bring to court, but it has ultimately ended in jail time for Suleman, who was planning acts of terrorism.
“We work tirelessly with our colleagues across the Counter Terrorism Policing network and in partnership with other organisations to disrupt people who are planning to commit acts of terror and ultimately bring them before the courts.
“We will do everything in our powers to stop these people inflicting harm on our communities in the South East no matter how long it takes, as this case shows.
DCS Wright continued: “Friends and family are often best placed to spot the signs of potential radicalisation, so please trust your instincts if you have any concerns, please report it.
“We can help if you act early. You won’t be wasting police time and you won’t ruin lives, but you might save them.”
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