Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Alleged jihadi tourist caught with a stash of gun training videos after returning from Syria 'was a paid MI5 helper'

  • Mustafa Abdullah, 34, was stopped at the airport on his return from Syria
  • Police searched his home and allegedly discovered terror-related material
  • Father-of-four had an audio file on guerilla warfare training, a court heard 
On trial: Muslim convert Mustafa Abdullah, 34
On trial: Muslim convert Mustafa Abdullah, 34
An alleged Jihadi tourist who was caught with a stash of gun training videos after returning from Syria has told a court he was a paid MI5 informant. 

Police discovered terror-related material at the south London home of Muslim convert Mustafa Abdullah, 34, after seizing his mobile phone when he landed in the UK last year, it was heard.

Jurors at the Old Bailey have seen a photograph of Abdullah with an automatic rifle slung over his shoulder and various instructional videos on gun-fighting, drills and how to use Glock pistols. 

The father-of-four also had an audio file on fitness training for guerilla warfare and useful equipment for combat operations, the court has heard.

Abdullah, an engineer, is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with 14 counts of possessing documents or records useful to a terrorist and one of having a gun for a terrorist purpose.   

Giving evidence in his defence, Abdullah said he first became involved with the British security service between January and August 2008.

His lawyer Andrew Hill asked: 'What was the purpose of the contact?'

The father-of-four replied: 'Basically, they were saying, "can you spy for us?". I said Muslims don't spy, however, I will assist you. I don't hang around with people like that but if I do, I will let you know.'

Abdullah told jurors he was paid £10,000, adding: 'I didn't need the money but they wanted to give it, so I took it.'

Three months before he went to Syria, MI5 agent 'Graham' called him up and asked for a meeting, but he rebuffed him, the defendant said.

Earlier, Abdullah became overcome with emotion as he started to tell jurors how he converted to Islam in 2000, having been born and bred in the UK to a family of mixed Jamaican-Indian heritage.

He has three children by his first wife, Souriya, and a fourth child with a second wife. 

In 2008, he and Souriya went to the United Arab Emirates where Abdullah worked as a refrigeration engineer and the couple were photographed shooting hand guns on a range.

Then in August 2012, the couple went to live and work in Yemen and the defendant bought a gun with a licence.

He told jurors: 'You can buy a handgun in the market place like you can buy a cabbage.'
Asked to explain the attraction of firearms, he said: 'My wife said to me, "it's like I like handbags". 

If I was in America I could fire guns all day, no problem. I love guns. I cannot explain it. They look nice.'

On a photograph with a Smith and Wesson, he told jurors: 'It's embarrassing. I deleted them. I did not want my wife to see them and the police extracted them from my computer.'

Asked if he ever had any intention of harming anybody in this country, Abdullah said: 'I'm your local engineer. When I come into your home and fix your appliances, I will make you laugh.'
Abdullah denies wrongdoing.

 The trial continues.

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