Six Years for Salford Man Who Hoarded Terrorist Propaganda
Ataubaq Taj of Salford’s Hacking Street was slapped with a six-year sentence at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday, 4 November 2020. The jury found him guilty of possessing terrorist documents under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Jury Sees Gruesome IS Materials on Devices
Taj was caught hoarding a stash of extremist material across his phone, laptop, USB sticks, and CDs. Shocking evidence included IS videos showing deadly knife attacks and instructions for making deadly improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Two men are brutally murdered in one of the videos.
Police Stumble on Hidden USB in Shoe
Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) first arrested Taj in July 2019 at his Lancashire home. A USB drive was found suspiciously hidden inside his shoe. Taj claimed it fell in through a hole in his pocket — but there was no hole. A second arrest followed in January this year after his move to Salford.
Detectives Praise Public’s Role in Terror Fight
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Meeks said: “Months of careful work by our officers has brought Taj to justice. While he had no known plans to act on this material, possessing such dangerous content is alarming.”
“We take these offences seriously and remain committed to keeping our communities safe from extremist ideologies.”
Police urged the public to report suspicious activity: “If you see or hear something odd, ACT now by reporting in confidence at gov.uk/ACT.”
