All seven dangerous terrorists convicted alongside al-Qaeda ‘dirty bomber’ mastermind Dhiren Barot who wanted to kill hundreds of people in New York and London have been released from jail.
The British men, all part of a sleeper cell that helped Barot plan a series of bomb plots in the UK and US, are back on the streets despite being jailed in 2007 for a combined 136 years.
MailOnline can reveal that the last of the group to be released was Abdul Aziz Jalil, then 34, who was given a 26 year sentence and was thought to be mass murder plotter Barot’s ‘minder.’
He pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to conspiracy to cause explosions between 2001 and 2004 alongside his fellow terrorist helpers, who provided intelligence and support to Barot.
Jalil was jailed with Mohammed Naveed Bhatti, 27, Junade Feroze, 31, Zia Ul Haq, 28, Nadeem Tarmohamed, 29, Omar Abdur Rehman, 23, and 28-year-old Qaisar Shaffi.
A MailOnline investigation has confirmed that all the group have been freed with most serving less than half their sentences. Jalil was released in February 2024 after a parole hearing.
Last night, Chris Phillips, the UK’s former Head of the National Counter Terrorism, told MailOnline: ‘This is madness. This determined gang of terrorists planned to kill hundreds of people in bombings on both sides of the Atlantic.
‘Releasing them almost certainly with the same views they had when plotting murder shows how weak our society has become.
‘They will not fear returning to prison as they intended to be martyrs. Our society can only be more dangerous with these men in it.’
The group were part of a ‘sleeper cell’ around Barot, a senior British member of Osama bin Laden’s network and the mastermind behind the attacks, who was sentenced in November 2007 to life imprisonment.
Barot admitted to plotting to bomb the New York Stock Exchange, the International Monetary Fund headquarters and the World Bank, among other targets.
In April 2007 it was revealed that he planned to use limousines packed with explosives and radioactive ‘dirty’ bombs for the attacks.
The plans for an attack in London included blowing up an underground tunnel beneath the River Thames to drown hundreds of commuters.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder and it was recommended that he serve a minimum of 40 years. In May 2007, his sentence was reduced to 30 years.
At his trial in April 2007, it emerged that Jalil, from Luton, rented a ‘safe house’ for Barot where planning material was kept and his fingerprints were found on documents relating to chemicals.
He also attended terror training camps in Pakistan and assisted with research into radioactivity.
The trial was told the seven men were vital for Barot to push ahead with the plots in the summer of 2004, playing roles as couriers, drivers and taking counter-surveillance measures in an attempt to throw the security services off the scent.
Barot sub-contracted key parts of his plotting to other members of his team, utilising their skills in devising false identities, as minders and researchers, prosecutors said.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said at the time that although the seven did not instigate the planned attacks, Barot needed their help and expertise.
He added: ‘Dhiren Barot and his gang were determined terrorists who planned bombings on both sides of the Atlantic.
‘The plans for a series of coordinated attacks in the United Kingdom included packing three limousines with gas cylinders and explosives before setting them off in underground car parks. This could have caused huge loss of life.
‘The plans to set off a dirty bomb in this country would have caused fear, panic and widespread disruption.’
Mr Clarke said the men were skilled in anti-surveillance techniques, with Jalil and Feroze and having travelled hundreds of miles to use an internet cafe.
Sentencing the seven, Mr Justice Butterfield said anyone who participates in such a plan ‘will receive little sympathy from the courts.’
He added:’Barot was the instigator of this terrorist planning, he was by some considerable distance the principal participant in the conspiracy.
‘Each one of you was recruited by Barot and assisted him at his request.’
Home Secretary John Reid said at the time: ‘The outcome of this trial once again shows the extent of the very real and serious threat the UK faces from terrorism.’
The co-conspirators already released from jail are:
Qaisar Shaffi, of Willesden, north-west London, who was sentenced to 15 years, was the first to be recommended for release by the Parole Board in 2012.
Zia Ul Haq, from Wembley, north London, who was jailed for 18-years, was directed for release in 2014.
Naveed Bhatti, of Harrow, north London, who was jailed for 20-years, was directed for release in 2015.
Nadeem Tarmohamed, of Wembley, who received 20 years, was also directed for release in 2015.
In 2016, Junade Feroze, of Blackburn, who got 22 years , was directed for release.
The Parole Board confirmed that Omar Abdur Rehman, of Bushey in Hertfordshire, jailed for 15 years, was rejected for release in 2013.
He is understood to have been freed at the end of his sentence.
Jalil, now 49, was told by the Parole Board he could be freed in December 2023. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that he had been released.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: ‘We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Abdul Aziz Jalil following an oral hearing.
‘Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
‘A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
‘Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing.
‘Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing.
‘It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more.’
Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.’
Indian born Barot, now 52, is being held in a maximum security jail. He is not eligible for parole until 2037.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: ‘This release decision was made by the independent Parole Board after a thorough risk assessment.
‘Terrorists released on licence are supervised by the Probation Service, with the support of police and the security services, and subject to strict conditions including restrictions on their internet use, movements and contact with others. If they break those conditions they face being brought back to prison.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
