A man who kept extremist manuals on how to make explosives and carry out attacks has been jailed for terrorism offences

Detectives found the daesh publications on a mobile phone belonging to 20-year-old Nuh Raheel, hidden under a mattress during a pre-planned police search of his address in Birmingham in October 2020. Appearing at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, Raheel was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a youth offenders’ institution, with a one-year extended licence period. He had previously admitted to five charges of collecting information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. In his sentencing remarks, the judge described the publications Raheel admitted to keeping as “chilling” and “dangerous”, and commended the work of the investigation team. Commander Richard Smith, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Raheel sought out and saved manuals that encouraged terrorist acts, and fuelled his extremist mindset. Police, with partners, work around the clock to identify and act against people like Raheel who access this kind of material, as well as playing a role in getting it removed from the internet. “This type of propaganda is produced to promote terrorist aims, and is extremely harmful. If you come across extremist content online, we would urge you to report it to police. “Counter-terrorism investigations are always challenging, and I am pleased that the judge recognised the work of Met counter-terrorism officers in bringing Raheel to justice.” In August 2020, the Met’s Counter-Terrorism became aware of a digital account which held extreme Islamist literature and propaganda. Further enquiries by officers confirmed that the account was linked to Raheel. Officers executed a search warrant at Raheel’s home address in Birmingham on 13 October 2020. He was arrested on suspicion of collecting material useful to someone preparing acts of terrorism. A number of items found at the address were seized, including Raheel’s mobile phone hidden under a mattress in a bedroom. This phone was analysed, and found to contain documents with information about the handling of weapons, how to kill another person, making “jihad”, producing explosives, and how to evade police attention. On 18 October 2020, Raheel was charged with seven counts of collecting material considered useful to a terrorist, and he first appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on 19 October. Further charges were later added. At Birmingham Crown Court on 30 July 2021, he pleaded guilty to five charges of collecting information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism (contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000). Raheel, 20 was found not guilty of 10 counts of possession of an article for terrorist purposes (contrary to section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000), and five counts of collecting terrorist information (contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000) - following a trial at Leicester Crown Court which ended on 19 April 2022.