Terrorists convicted over plot targeting Jewish communities

Two men have been convicted for plotting an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack on Jewish communities in the north-west of England which aimed to kill hundreds of innocent people.

Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were convicted of making preparations to commit a large-scale terrorist attack, while Walid Saadaoui's younger brother Bilel Saadaoui, 36, was convicted of failing to disclose to authorities the information he knew about their plans, following a trial at Preston Crown Court which concluded today.

Walid Saadaoui planned to smuggle four high-powered military grade AK 47 rifles, two pistols and 900 rounds of ammunition into the UK. He had paid a deposit on the weapons in February 2024. His plan was to use these to carry out an attack on a mass march against Antisemitism in Manchester city centre, and then to move the attack to an area of north Manchester occupied predominantly by the Jewish community.

Known to be an Islamic State supporter, Hussein was recruited to help with the plan – which included killing law enforcement officers who might intervene.

Walid Saadaoui carried out reconnaissance of targets in Greater Manchester. He and Hussein also travelled to view the port of Dover in March and May 2024. In May 2024 they believed they were watching the weapons being transported by vehicle into the UK. The men also secured and equipped a safe house for storing weapons they would use between December 2023 and May 2024.

Bilel Saadaoui was Walid Saadaoui’s confidant. They spent many hours together. Bilel Saadaoui shared his brother ISIS convictions, however he was reluctant to join in on an attack in the UK. Instead he offered to provide support for Walid Saadoui’s family after his death, holding a key for a safe which contained £70,000 of his brother’s money. He also had a copy of his brother’s will, in this way it was intended to protect Walid Saadaoui’s assets being seized by the police in the event of his death. Bilel Saadaoui denied the authorities the opportunity to stop the attack.

Frank Ferguson, Head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “This was a deeply disturbing plot inspired by extremist ideology. Had these terrorists succeeded – it would have led to mass murder and been one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities in this country.

“The investigation and prosecution deployed a highly trained witness who made sure their plot did not succeed and secured valuable evidence directly from the mouths of the terrorists. This laid bare their intention to destroy lives, their long-held attitudes and beliefs as well as their ISIS credentials. We worked closely with counter-terrorism officers to ensure the strongest possible case was built from the outset and presented in court to the jury, resulting in these convictions.

“Terrorism is an attack on the very fabric of our society. We will always use the law to protect communities from harm and relentlessly hold offenders to account, making sure they face the toughest legal consequences for their actions.”

Building the case

The CPS built a compelling case using a combination of digital evidence, surveillance, and witness testimony from an undercover officer who infiltrated the group.

Prosecutors demonstrated that Walid Saadaoui was the primary instigator of plans. Having moved from Great Yarmouth to the North West in the preceding year, he did not take up employment in 2023 as he prepared himself. He posted ISIS propaganda on numerous Facebook accounts and encouraged others to take up weapons in the name of Islamic State. 

He made several unsuccessful attempts to purchase firearms, before meeting the prosecution witness online.

In their first ever meeting he shared his admiration for Hamid Al Abaoud, the leader of the 2015 Paris attacks. He shared his desire to attack Jewish people and covertly joined a North West Jewish Facebook page to follow events.  He told the prosecution witness he committed himself to ISIS in 2013, before he moved to the UK.

Amar Hussein, a Syrian who claimed to have fought in the Iraqi army travelled with Walid Saadaoui to Dover to conduct reconnaissance. He was also involved in monitoring the arrival of weapons. His communications and presence at key locations supported the prosecution’s case.

Both men embraced the ideology of the so-called Islamic State and intended to carry out attacks in response to alleged atrocities conducted by Israeli troops following October 2023.

The plot was uncovered through an operation involving an undercover officer posing as a like-minded extremist. The witness gained Walid Saadaoui’s trust. Believing him to share the same beliefs, Walid Saadaoui began to share his ideas, and through the undercover officer believed he had arranged the importation of firearms.  

On 8 May 2024, Walid Saadaoui was arrested by Counter Terrorism police as he attempted to take possession of two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and almost 200 rounds of ammunition.

Bilel Saadaoui shared the same ISIS creed, accessing ISIS-inspired media and sharing them with Hussein. He was entrusted with Walid’s will and access to £70,000. He withheld critical information and exchanged voice notes about the plans with his brother in the days leading up to their arrests. The CPS proved that his actions constituted a failure to disclose material information under terrorism legislation.

The CPS was able to demonstrate the intention to carry out a terrorist attack in this case by presenting clear evidence of planning, coordination, and communication among the defendants.