Police are thanking the public for their support and help after Metropolitan Police officers arrested Daniel Khalife
Police are thanking the public for their support and help after Metropolitan Police officers arrested Daniel Khalife at 10:41hrs this morning, Saturday 9 September. A manhunt for Khalife was launched after he escaped from HMP Wandsworth on the morning of Wednesday 6 September, whilst on remand awaiting trial for terrorism and Official Secrets Act charges.
The investigation to locate and arrest Khalife involved over 150 officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, supported by many other officers from across the Met and other forces across the UK, as well as other partners including Border Force and intelligence services.
Khalife was arrested on a towpath near Rowdell Road, Northolt by an officer who was part of the investigation team. He was arrested on suspicion of being unlawfully at large, and taken to a west London police station, where he was further arrested on suspicion of escaping lawful custody. Khalife remains in police custody at this time and enquiries remain ongoing.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “The arrest of Khalife this morning is the culmination of an incredible effort by the investigation team, who have been working around the clock and have been supported by colleagues from across the Met and indeed the whole of the UK.
“But I must also thank the public and media for their tremendous support as well. We received well over 100 calls from the public following our various appeals and some of that information was key in helping us to focus our efforts and, ultimately, find Khalife.” Overnight, officers carried out an intelligence-led search of an address in the Richmond area. Officers spoke with the occupants of the address and carried out a full and thorough search, but found no trace of Khalife and no evidence to suggest he might have been there prior.
Shortly after that search, police received a call from a member of the public with a reported sighting of Khalife in Spencer Road, Chiswick. Officers were deployed immediately to that area, but despite intensive searches did not locate him.
In the early hours of this morning, a further sighting of Khalife was reported at the junction of Church Street with Chiswick Mall. Officers were again immediately deployed to that area. The sighting led to the issuing of a further description of Khalife, as wearing a black baseball hat, black t-shirt and dark bottoms.
Officers remained in the area, supported by colleagues from the Met’s Territorial Support Group, dogs units, local officers, police helicopter (NPAS) and specialist police search or “POLSA” teams as well. At around 10:40hrs an officer who was deployed as part of the ongoing investigation spotted Khalife on a pushbike on a towpath near to Rowdell Road, and managed to stop Khalife and arrest him.
Commander Murphy added: “Our priority following Khalife’s escape was to find him and bring him back to custody, which, thanks to the help of the public, and the excellent work by our officers, we have achieved. We are now pivoting our investigation towards the circumstances of his escape and whether there may have been any other persons involved and that investigation continues.”
Anyone with information that may assist the ongoing investigation into the circumstances of his escape can contact police via 101, or call the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.
Copyright: ProtectUK