Sabeel Ahmed

Sabeel Ahmed is an Indian terrorist suspect arrested after the 2007 Glasgow Airport attack. He studied at the Dr B R Ambedkar Medical College, an affiliated college of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences between 1998 and 2003 and completed his internship in 2003–2004, moving to the UK in November 2004 to pursue higher studies.[1]

He is the brother of Kafeel Ahmed,[2] who was also arrested in the aftermath of the attack, and has been variously reported as the second cousin,[3] uncle[4] or brother[5] of Mohammed Haneef, with whom he studied medicine in Bangalore, and who was arrested at the Brisbane Airport on 2 July 2007. Mohamed Haneef is a second cousin of Sabeel as their grandparents are brother and sister.[6]

Ahmed was alleged to have been given Haneef's British mobile phone SIM card when the latter left the UK for a job at the Gold Coast Hospital in Queensland, Australia.;[7] He is reported to have applied for medical positions in Western Australia in 2005, but was rejected after officials because of concerns over their qualifications and references.[8][9]

On 14 July 2007, British police charged Ahmed with failing to disclose information that could have prevented an act of terrorism.[10] In April 2008 he was given an 18-month prison sentence for withholding information.[11]

Ahmed was deported back to India on 8 May 2008 after being released due to time already served.[12] He moved to Saudi Arabia in 2010 to work at a hospital. In 2015, he was charged by the National Investigation Agency in a case of an alleged militant recruitment by Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out in 2012. In 2017, the Delhi Police accused him of trying to recruit Indians for Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent. He was deported back to India and arrested by the NIA on 28 August 2020.[13]

  1. ^ "College stunned at doctors' detention". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 5 July 2007. Archived from the original on 10 December 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  2. ^ Pierce, Andrew (5 July 2007). "Ties that bind terror car bomb suspects". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  3. ^ "Another doctor from Bangalore detained in U.K." The Hindu. Chennai, India. 5 July 2007. Archived from the original on 7 July 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  4. ^ "Race to interview Aust doctor". Stuff.co.nz. 5 July 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  5. ^ Haynes, Deborah; Fresco, Adam (4 July 2007). "'Those who cure you will kill you'". London: TimesOnline. Archived from the original on 4 July 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
  6. ^ ROI between Federal Agent Neil THOMPSON, AFP and DetlSgt Adam SIMMS (QPS) and Mohamed HANEEF on 13/07/2007.14/0712007 at Queensland Headquarters, Roma Street, Brisbane
  7. ^ "Doctor used several names to try WA entry". The Australian. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
  8. ^ Cumming, Jason; Mclaughlin, Martyn (5 July 2007). "'I'll never forget that burning man running towards me, lashing out,' recalls airport PC". Edinburgh: News.Scotsman.com. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  9. ^ "Two more doctors charged over bomb attacks on UK". AlertNet. 14 July 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
  10. ^ "Doctor jailed for concealing airport bomb plot". The Guardian. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Car bomber brother back in India". BBC. 8 May 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  12. ^ Johnson, T.A. (30 August 2020). "Deported from Saudi, LeT 'terror recruiter' held by NIA". The Indian Express. Retrieved 30 August 2020.