East London man jailed after sending night vision sniper sights to the Taliban | The Standard

Oct 16, 2024

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An east London man has been jailed after admitting sending night vision and thermal imaging rifle scopes to the Taliban.

Muhammad Choudhary, 41, sent the equipment which could have been used to target British troops in Afghanistan in 2017 and 2018.

He pleaded guilty to terrorism funding and fundraising offences following a joint investigation by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

He was sentenced at the Old Bailey to seven years in prison with an additional year to be served on an extended licence.

Choudhary sent the equipment to Pakistan but later admitted it was intended for the Taliban, which, at the time, was attacking the then-Government in Afghanistan and coalition troops.

Acting Commander Gareth Rees, of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “This case is a prime example of how terrorist activity can take many different forms, and shows that we will investigate anyone in the UK who supports terrorist activity, regardless of what it may be in support of or to where it may be linked.

“This was a unique case where Government colleagues identified potential terrorist-related activity and shared information with us. Further enquiries conducted by Counter Terrorism Command officers led to Choudhary being convicted and jailed for various terrorism offences.

Customs officers first became aware of Choudhary after a seizure of rifle scopes at Heathrow Airport in January 2018.

Further enquiries revealed he bought the sniper sights from legitimate hunting suppliers. He was interviewed under caution by HMRC investigators and he later admitted in interview they were for members of the Taliban.

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As a result, this information was passed to the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and officers launched an investigation, which resulted in Choudhary being charged with terrorism offences in September 2023.

Mike Pass, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “The UK operates a strict licensing regime to uphold international sanctions and to ensure military equipment does not fall into the wrong hands.

“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure effective controls and enforcement on military goods, which contributes to the UK’s national security.”

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