Intelligence

Wanted man 'detained in Zambia'

BBC NEWS | UK | Wanted man 'detained in Zambia'

A British man wanted for questioning over the 7 July London bombings has reportedly been detained in Zambia.

Haroon Rashid Aswat, who grew up in West Yorkshire, is alleged to have made contact with two suicide bombers before they carried out their mission.

Mr Aswat was held in the border town of Livingstone after entering the country from Zimbabwe, Zambian officials said.

The Foreign Office said it was seeking access to a British national reportedly in custody, but did not name him.

It has been suggested that Mr Aswat was in the UK shortly before the London attacks and called two of the bombers on his mobile phone.

According to news reports from the US, he was arrested last week for his alleged role in planning a terrorist training camp in Oregon in 1999.

'Net closing'

Scotland Yard declined to shed any light on claims Mr Aswat was the possible mastermind of the July 7 attacks.

A spokeswoman said: "It's all speculation and not something that we will discuss at the moment."

The four suicide bombers struck on three underground trains and a bus, killing 52 people and injuring 700.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said he remained confident those responsible for last week's attempted bombings in London would be caught.

Speaking in a debate on BBC One, Sir Ian said the "net was closing".

Police are questioning 21 July suspect Yasin Hassan Omar following his arrest in Birmingham on Thursday, but the search for the other three men continues.

In other developments:

# Nine men were arrested by police in Tooting, south London, on Thursday, bringing the total number of people held under anti-terrorist laws over the London attacks to 20.

# A major police operation was put into operation on the UK's transport system, with officers on a precautionary high alert to reassure the public and deter would-be attackers.

# The funeral of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, who was shot at Stockwell Tube station after being wrong identified as a suicide bomber, is to be held in his home town of Gonzaga on Friday.

# The Home Office said Mr Menezes' visa had expired two years before he was shot by police.

# The Metropolitan Police Commissioner told the BBC his officers had no choice but to shot dead Mr Menezes. Sir Ian Blair said using Taser stun-guns on suspected bombers was an "incredible risk".

July 29, 2005 at 12:34 AM in Current Terrorism | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home