Islamists thwarted in Stock Exchange bomb plot

The fundamentalist group, which wanted to send five mail bombs over Christmas and discussed carrying out a “Mumbai-style” atrocity, was foiled by Britain’s largest counter-terror operation of 2010.

The conspiracy’s “lynchpin” and his accomplice were caught after they were followed by undercover detectives, observing Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and the Palace of Westminster.

A hand-written list of targets found at the home of one of the defendants listed the names and addresses of Mr Johnson, the Stock Exchange, the Embassy and two rabbis.

Details of the conspiracy emerged yesterday after nine men – two from London, three from Cardiff and four from Stoke – admitted various terror offences at Woolwich Crown Court.

The terrorists, who are all British and will be sentenced next week, were stopped before firm dates could be set for the attacks.

They met through their membership of hardcore Islamic groups and gathered in parks at specially arranged meetings in an attempt to thwart surveillance teams.

Although they were not al-Qaida members, the nine were inspired by the terror network, specifically al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which uses the internet to encourage radicals to attack the nations in which they live.

AQAP’s leader, American-born Anwar al Awlaki, was killed last year in a drone strike.

The London-based conspirators, main player Mohammed Chowdhury, 21, of Stanliff House, Tower Hamlets, and Shah Rahman, 28, of St Bernard’s Road, Newham, were followed by detectives as they surveyed landmarks on November 28, 2010.

They admitted preparing for acts of terrorism by planning to plant an improvised explosive device in the toilets of the Stock Exchange.

Their pleas were entered after the judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, indicated Chowdhury and Rahman would receive sentences of 18-and-a-half years and 17 years respectively.

But the pair will each only serve about six years because five are served on licence, prisoners only serve half their remaining terms as standard and they have already been behind bars for more than 12 months.

Two brothers from Cardiff – Gurukanth Desai, 30, of Albert Street, and Abdul Miah, 25, of Ninian Park Road, also admitted their part in the Stock Exchange plot.

Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC told the court the four had not intended to maim and kill.

“Their intention was to cause terror and economic harm and disruption,” he said. “But their chosen method meant there was a risk people would be maimed or killed.”

Usman Khan, 20, of Persia Walk, Mohammed Shahjahan 27, of Burmarsh Walk, and Nazam Hussain, 26, of Grove Street, all Stoke, admitted engaging in the preparation of terrorism by attending meetings in South Wales in November and December 2010.

Mr Edis said the group had planned for at least one of these three men to travel to join other British nationals at a terror training camp in Kashmir.

“It was clear that acts of terrorism would be committed on that person’s return,” the prosecutor added.

Omar Latif, 28, of Neville Street, Cardiff, admitted attending the South Wales meetings with the intention of assisting others to prepare or commit acts of terrorism.

The fourth Stoke defendant, Mohibur Rahman, 27, of North Road, admitted possessing an article for a terrorist purpose on December 20, 2010.

He had two editions of the magazine Inspire, published by AQAP, which carried articles on bomb-making recipes including a feature called “Make A Bomb In The Kitchen Of Your Mom”.

The conspirators’ targets were not confined to London, as the Stoke quartet discussed leaving home-made bombs in toilets at their city’s pubs.

The senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, said yesterday: “We welcome the guilty pleas entered by all nine defendants today, following what was the largest counter-terrorism operation of 2010.”