Operation Gamble
Operation Gamble was a co-ordinated police investigation into a terrorist plot based in the West Midlands, and the subsequent arrest of suspects. A group of eight British Pakistani men were arrested in a raid at 4:00am on January 31, 2007. A further man was arrested later that day. It was alleged that they were planning to kidnap and behead a Muslim soldier in the British armed forces - possibly an African soldier from the Gambian. The group had chosen a location for the kidnapped man to be kept, and they had planned to video tape and photograph the execution to release on the Internet.
Three of the nine men arrested in Operation Gamble were released without charge - Abu Bakr and Azzar Iqbal. The remaining six were charged with offences relating to the conspiracy. Four of the six admitted guilt, one was cleared by the court and the other tried and found guilty:
- Pervaiz Khan admitted conspiracy to kidnap and murder and has been given a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 14 years.
- Basiru Gassama admitted failing to report the conspiracy and has been given a two year prison sentence followed by deportation - Gassama is a Ghanan national.[1]
- Amjad Mahmood was cleared of failing to report the conspiracy.
- Zahoor Iqbal admitted supplying terrorists and was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.
- Mohammed Irfan admitted supplying terrorists and was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment.
- Hamid Elsamar was convicted of supplying terorrists and was sentenced to 3 years, 4 months.