Tarek Namouz, a 43-year-old barber from west London, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of ten terrorism offenses. Namouz had exchanged messages with a supporter of Daesh (ISIS) in Syria, discussing the purchase of weapons and explosives to use against the Syrian government. He sent over £11,280 to his contact in Syria, though he later claimed to have sent more than double that amount while in prison.
When arrested in May 2021, Namouz was found to be in possession of Daesh propaganda material, including instructions on how to create an improvised explosive device and carry out knife attacks. Namouz had received government grants to assist his business during the Covid-19 pandemic. In court, Judge HHJ Lodder KC stated: “In 2020 and 2021, you ran a barbers shop in Hammersmith. You were entitled to Covid bounce-back loans which were paid to you by the local council. You sent that money, and other money, through a west London transfer and currency exchange, to terrorists in Syria.”
The investigation into Namouz’s activities was carried out by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command. Commander Richard Smith, who leads the unit, emphasized the importance of disrupting the funding of terrorist groups. “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, and we will always pursue and investigate those people and seek to bring them to justice,” he said.
The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity that may be related to terrorism. This can be done confidentially at gov.uk/ACT or by calling the anti-terrorist hotline at 0800 789 321. In an emergency, dial 999.
It is crucial that communities stand together to defeat terrorism. Information from the public plays a vital role in counter terrorism investigations. If you see or hear something unusual or suspicious and think someone may be engaging in terrorist activity, trust your instincts and report it. By working together, we can help to prevent terrorist attacks and keep our communities safe