UK's 'Three Musketeers' terror cell jailed for life

Members caught after intelligence operatives find pipe bomb, meat cleaver hidden in boot of member's car

LONDON: Members of a British terror cell who called themselves the "Three Musketeers" received life sentences on Thursday for plotting an attack against police and military targets.

The gang, from the West Midlands in central England, was arrested last August after intelligence operatives went to bug one of the member's cars, only to find a pipe bomb and meat cleaver hidden in the boot.

All three men denied preparing an attack and claim the evidence was planted by an undercover officer, who rejected the claims during 12 days of cross examination.

Judge Henry Globe in London sentenced Naweed Ali, 29, Khobaib Hussain, 25, and Mohibur Rahman, 33, to serve at least 20 years of the term, following a trial in which the police's undercover operations came under the spotlight.

Jurors deliberated for 22 hours before finding the men guilty of planning an attack similar to that on British soldier Lee Rigby, who was knifed to death on a London street in broad daylight in 2013.

Another defendant, Tahir Aziz, 38, was also sentenced to life after being found guilty of the same offence, and will serve a minimum of 15 years in jail.

One of the convicted men shouted: "I hope you're happy with your lies, lying scumbags," as he was led from court.

Judge Globe rejected the claims as "totally unfounded". "But for the intervention of the counter terrorism unit of West Midlands Police and the security services, there would have been not dissimilar terrorist acts in this country using... explosives and or one or more bladed weapons," he said.

The jury had earlier heard how the gang communicated on encrypted Telegram exchanges, calling themselves the Three Musketeers.
The gang was led by Hussain, from Birmingham. He and his next-door neighbour Ali met Rahman in jail.

Hussain and Ali were serving time for attending a terror training camp in Pakistan, while Rahman was jailed for possessing an al Qaeda propaganda magazine. Aziz joined the group days before the arrests.