Terrorist plots in the UK

The Security Service, police and other UK agencies work together to identify terrorist plots and bring their authors to justice. Our combined efforts have achieved a number of notable successes.

Between 11 September 2001 and 31 March 2007, 41 individuals have been convicted under the Terrorism Act and another 183 have been convicted of terrorist-related offences, including murder, illegal possession of firearms and explosives offences. 1,165 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act and 114 were awaiting trial as of the end of March 2007.

International terrorism is a nationwide problem. Those involved in international terrorism are not associated with any single area of the UK; individuals convicted of terrorist offences have lived throughout the country (see map). Likewise, terrorists have sought to target a variety of different places. Attacks related to international terrorism have occurred in London and Glasgow, and thwarted terrorist plots have been aimed at targets outside the capital.

Notable recent terrorist convictions have included the following:

• 27 February 2002
  Moinul Abedin was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment after being convicted of making large amounts of detonators and the explosive HMTD in a Birmingham house.
  
• 1 April 2003
  Leicester residents Brahim Benmerzouga and Baghdad Merziane were each sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for their roles in fundraising for Al Qaida and other extremist groups.
  
• 13 April 2003
  "Ricin plotter" Kamel Bourgass was convicted of the murder of PC Stephen Oake in Manchester and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance using explosives and the deadly poison ricin.
  
• 22 April 2003
  Saajit Badat was imprisoned for 13 years following his admission that he had plotted with jailed shoebomber Richard Reid to destroy an airliner over the Atlantic.
  
• 7 February 2006
  Radical London cleric Abu Hamza was convicted of incitement to murder and sentenced to 7 years.
  
• 26 May 2006
  Kazi Nur al-Rahman was convicted of attempting to procure guns, rocket-propelled grenades and surface-to-air missiles, and was sentenced to 9 years.
  
• 7 November 2006
  Al Qaida operative Dhiren Barot was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years' imprisonment after admitting a plot to attack UK and US targets using a "dirty bomb" and gas-filled limousines.
  
• 30 April 2007
  Five men were imprisoned for life after being convicted of a plot to attack targets such as shopping centres and nightclubs using fertiliser-based explosives.
  
• 15 June 2007
  Seven men were jailed for a total of 136 years for their involvement in Dhiren Barot's "dirty bomb" plot and "Gas Limos Project".
  
• 5 July 2007
  Three men were imprisoned for up to 10 years after being convicted of using the Internet to promote terrorism.
  
• 11 July 2007
  The four would-be suicide bombers of 21 July 2005 were given life sentences following their convictions on charges of conspiracy to murder.

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