West London Man Caught Funding Terror Plot from Above His Barbershop
Barber Shop Boss Sent £11k to Daesh Fighter
Tarek Namouz, 43, of West London, was nailed in a May 2021 counter-terror swoop. His phone revealed a chilling extremist mindset. Officers uncovered chat messages between Namouz and a Daesh supporter in Syria plotting to buy weapons and explosives to use against Syrian government forces.
Namouz ran a barbershop in Hammersmith, living right above it. Over several months, he sent more than £11,000 to his Syrian contact via a local money transfer bureau. But secretly, while on remand, he bragged about wiring around £25,000 in total.
Kingston Crown Court Convicts Namouz
On 1 and 8 December, at Kingston Crown Court, Namouz was found guilty of eight counts of funding terrorism under Section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He also faced two counts of possessing terrorist materials, contrary to Section 58.
Sentencing is set for Thursday 5 January 2023.
Hidden Phone Packed with Terrorist Instructions
When cops raided Namouz’s flat, he claimed he had no phone. Detectives found one concealed under a drawer. On it were thousands of Daesh propaganda files, including videos on making bombs and instructions for knife attacks. These came from the Telegram app, confirming his deep extremist links.
Met’s Counter Terror Boss Pledges Justice
Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:
“Terrorist groups rely on funding to carry out their activities and to continue to operate.
“People like Namouz who provide money to terrorist groups – both in the UK and overseas – are enabling others to go and commit serious and deadly attacks. We will always pursue and investigate those people and seek to bring them to justice.”
