A taskforce has been assembled to try to locate and catch Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed (pictured), a terror suspect who escaped from his government minders by disguising himself in a burka. Mohamed, who was subject to an order restricting his movements, left a London mosque on Friday with his face and body covered. The Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command, MI5, and the UK Border Agency are now joining forces to find him. Mr Mohamed is believed to have close links to al-Shabab, the Somali insurgent group that raided Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in September, resulting in 67 deaths, but officials say there was not enough evidence to bring a criminal case against him in court. It is not known at this point in time where he could be headed next, but while UK Border Agency officers at Britain's ports and airports look out for the suspect, MI5 are working closely with the police to try to second-guess where he would be likely to go. One possibility is that he could lie low and stay in Britain. Investigators are considering the probability that he will make contact with elements of the criminal underworld, although he may be wary of exploiting existing links. But if Mr Mohamed wants to stay out of custody he will need a new, forged identity, but he still risks being recognised and having his whereabouts phoned in to the police by the public. Another possibility is that he could go to Kenya where there is a well-established secret pipeline used by al-Shabab associates to pass through the country on their way from Europe and the US to Somalia. The Kenyan authorities may be able to apprehend him, but plenty of jihadist volunteers have used the porous Kenya-Somali border to slip through the net and join al-Shabab. A third potential option under consideration is that Mr Mohamed could flee to Europe. If he can assume a new identity then he may be able to assimilate himself into the Somali diaspora in a European country with a sizeable community, such as Norway. But most Somalis do not want to be associated with al-Shabab, and with his picture so widely circulated, he could be easily recognised. So it's pretty much over for him unless he heads to a foreign embassy, comes up with a good sob story, and applies for asylum.
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6 November 2013
Burka man on the run
A taskforce has been assembled to try to locate and catch Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed (pictured), a terror suspect who escaped from his government minders by disguising himself in a burka. Mohamed, who was subject to an order restricting his movements, left a London mosque on Friday with his face and body covered. The Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command, MI5, and the UK Border Agency are now joining forces to find him. Mr Mohamed is believed to have close links to al-Shabab, the Somali insurgent group that raided Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in September, resulting in 67 deaths, but officials say there was not enough evidence to bring a criminal case against him in court. It is not known at this point in time where he could be headed next, but while UK Border Agency officers at Britain's ports and airports look out for the suspect, MI5 are working closely with the police to try to second-guess where he would be likely to go. One possibility is that he could lie low and stay in Britain. Investigators are considering the probability that he will make contact with elements of the criminal underworld, although he may be wary of exploiting existing links. But if Mr Mohamed wants to stay out of custody he will need a new, forged identity, but he still risks being recognised and having his whereabouts phoned in to the police by the public. Another possibility is that he could go to Kenya where there is a well-established secret pipeline used by al-Shabab associates to pass through the country on their way from Europe and the US to Somalia. The Kenyan authorities may be able to apprehend him, but plenty of jihadist volunteers have used the porous Kenya-Somali border to slip through the net and join al-Shabab. A third potential option under consideration is that Mr Mohamed could flee to Europe. If he can assume a new identity then he may be able to assimilate himself into the Somali diaspora in a European country with a sizeable community, such as Norway. But most Somalis do not want to be associated with al-Shabab, and with his picture so widely circulated, he could be easily recognised. So it's pretty much over for him unless he heads to a foreign embassy, comes up with a good sob story, and applies for asylum.
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