Man from Bradford found guilty of terrorism offences
Update 2 September 2022: Mohammad Owais Sabir was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment and 1 year extended license.
An insurance clerk from Bradford has been found guilty of nine terrorism offences, including entering funding arrangements, fundraising and possession of articles for terrorist purposes.
Mohammad Owais Sabir, 26, was arrested in September 2021 and again on 22 February this year. The arrest came after police investigated his financial transactions.
The CPS proved that conversations and financial transactions found on Sabir’s devices that were seized after his first arrest showed that he was aiming to further the aims of Daesh by teaching the message to others. He also sent money to help free Daesh members and supporters from detention. Sabir expressed an ongoing desire to travel to ‘perform Hijra’ in the name of Daesh but was not able to do so.
Nick Price, Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Sabir willingly provided financial support to a terrorist regime and continually expressed his support and desire to travel in the name of Daesh. There is no place for these extreme and dangerous views in our society, and after a thorough investigation, I am pleased that we were able to prove to the jury that Sabir was guilty of these terrorism offences.”
Sabir often spoke to an individual who was based in Syria and who was aligned with Daesh. They spoke about fighting jihad for ISIS and Daesh. They also expressed concern that law enforcement may be monitoring their messages and attempted to disguise what they were talking about. The CPS argued this clearly showed that they knew what they were doing was illegal.
Also found on Sabir’s devices were a number of documents related to Islam, war and jihad. The contents of these documents were extreme in nature and contained information that would be useful to a person committing or prepare to commit an act of terrorism, and help them survive in a war zone.
Sabir will be sentenced tomorrow (2 September 2022).
Notes to editors
Mohammad Owais Sabir (DOB:21/08/96) has been found guilty of the following terrorism offences under the Terrorism Act 2000:
- Entering a funding arrangement: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 5 November 2020 and 15 November 2020, entered or became concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money or other property was to be made available to another, knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism. Contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Fund-raising: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 6 November 2020 and 15 November 2020, invited others to provide money or other property and intended that it should be used, or had reasonable cause to suspect that it may be used, for the purposes of terrorism. Contrary to section 15(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Entering a funding arrangement: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 25 December 2020 and 30 December 2020, entered or became concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money or other property was to be made available to another, knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism. Contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Entering a funding arrangement: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 24 January 2021 and 26 January 2021, entered or became concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money or other property was to be made available to another, knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism. Contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Entering a funding arrangement: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 17 February 2021 and 20 February 2021, entered or became concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money or other property was to be made available to another, knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism. Contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Entering a funding arrangement: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 20 May 2021 and 25 May 2021, entered or became concerned in an arrangement as a result of which money or other property was to be made available to another, knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism. Contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Possession for terrorist purposes: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 9 December 2019 and 30 September 2021, possessed an article, namely an electronic copy of the ‘How to Survive in the West: A Mujahid Guide’, in circumstances which give rise to a reasonable suspicion that his possession is for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism. Contrary to section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Possession for terrorist purposes: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 6 January 2020 and 30 September 2021 possessed an article, namely an electronic copy of the ‘How to become an Assassin’, in circumstances which give rise to a reasonable suspicion that his possession is for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism. Contrary to section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Possession for terrorist purposes: Muhammad Owais SABIR, between 8 December 2019 and 30 September 2021 possessed an article, namely an electronic copy of the ‘Class Notes from the Security and Intelligence course’, in circumstances which give rise to a reasonable suspicion that his possession is for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism. Contrary to section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The CPS Counter Terrorism Division prosecutes all terrorism cases. It deals with other complex casework areas including allegations of incitement to racial and religious hatred, war crimes and crimes against humanity, official secrets cases, piracy and hijacking