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| Missing Luton family were stopped by police when trying to leave UK | Missing Luton family were stopped by police when trying to leave UK |
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| A family of 12 who are feared to be in Syria were previously stopped by police when they tried to leave the country, it has emerged. | A family of 12 who are feared to be in Syria were previously stopped by police when they tried to leave the country, it has emerged. |
| Three generations of the family, from Luton in Bedfordshire, have been missing since 17 May after leaving the UK for a holiday to Bangladesh. | Three generations of the family, from Luton in Bedfordshire, have been missing since 17 May after leaving the UK for a holiday to Bangladesh. |
| It was confirmed on Thursday that the family, including a one-year-old baby and two grandparents, had previously been prevented from flying to the south Asian country while officers questioned 21-year-old Rajia Khanom. | It was confirmed on Thursday that the family, including a one-year-old baby and two grandparents, had previously been prevented from flying to the south Asian country while officers questioned 21-year-old Rajia Khanom. |
| However, they were later allowed to travel and flew to Bangladesh on 10 April. They flew back to Istanbul on 11 May and were due back at Heathrow three days later but failed to return. | However, they were later allowed to travel and flew to Bangladesh on 10 April. They flew back to Istanbul on 11 May and were due back at Heathrow three days later but failed to return. |
| Counter-terrorism officers are now investigating whether Khanom was radicalised by Islamist extremists in Luton before she and her 11 relatives went on to join Islamic State militants in Syria. | Counter-terrorism officers are now investigating whether Khanom was radicalised by Islamist extremists in Luton before she and her 11 relatives went on to join Islamic State militants in Syria. |
| Khanom’s brother Mohammed Akhtar Hussain told Channel 4 News on Thursday that his sister had joined a group of known radicals in Luton who were once members of the now-banned al-Muhajiroun. | Khanom’s brother Mohammed Akhtar Hussain told Channel 4 News on Thursday that his sister had joined a group of known radicals in Luton who were once members of the now-banned al-Muhajiroun. |
| A Bedfordshire police spokeswoman confirmed that officers are “looking into a number of lines of inquiry and that is potentially one of them”. | A Bedfordshire police spokeswoman confirmed that officers are “looking into a number of lines of inquiry and that is potentially one of them”. |
| Police have not yet confirmed whether the family have crossed the Turkish border into Syria, but inquiries are continuing. | Police have not yet confirmed whether the family have crossed the Turkish border into Syria, but inquiries are continuing. |
| There are concerns for the health of 75-year-old Muhammed Mannan, who has diabetes, and his wife, Minera Khatun, 53, who has cancer. Khanom is missing alongside her brothers Mohammed Zayd Hussain, 25, Mohammed Toufique Hussain, 19, Mohammed Abil Kashem Saker, 31, and his wife, Sheida Khanam, 27, Mohammed Saleh Hussain, 26, and his wife Roshanara Begum, 24. Three children, aged between one and 11, are also with the group. | There are concerns for the health of 75-year-old Muhammed Mannan, who has diabetes, and his wife, Minera Khatun, 53, who has cancer. Khanom is missing alongside her brothers Mohammed Zayd Hussain, 25, Mohammed Toufique Hussain, 19, Mohammed Abil Kashem Saker, 31, and his wife, Sheida Khanam, 27, Mohammed Saleh Hussain, 26, and his wife Roshanara Begum, 24. Three children, aged between one and 11, are also with the group. |
| Hussain said there was no way his father, Mannan, would have wanted to travel to a warzone and suggested that Khanom might be to blame. “If anyone had plans to go to Syria and join any groups there, it would have been my sister,” he said. | Hussain said there was no way his father, Mannan, would have wanted to travel to a warzone and suggested that Khanom might be to blame. “If anyone had plans to go to Syria and join any groups there, it would have been my sister,” he said. |
| Hussain said the relatives were meant to be enjoying a “big family holiday” to Bangladesh because Minera Khatun has cancer. | Hussain said the relatives were meant to be enjoying a “big family holiday” to Bangladesh because Minera Khatun has cancer. |
| He told how he had recently argued with Khanom after telling her she had “fallen in with the wrong crowd”. | He told how he had recently argued with Khanom after telling her she had “fallen in with the wrong crowd”. |
| Hussain added: “I just keep thinking if only she hadn’t been allowed to go, this might have not happened. I also don’t understand why they were allowed to stop off in Turkey on the way home.” | Hussain added: “I just keep thinking if only she hadn’t been allowed to go, this might have not happened. I also don’t understand why they were allowed to stop off in Turkey on the way home.” |
| Friends of 19-year-old Toufique Hussain said he had had everything going for him and “even drove a BMW”. They said he was sending them messages on the social network Snapchat while he was away in Bangladesh and that they suspected nothing out of the ordinary. | Friends of 19-year-old Toufique Hussain said he had had everything going for him and “even drove a BMW”. They said he was sending them messages on the social network Snapchat while he was away in Bangladesh and that they suspected nothing out of the ordinary. |
| At the family home, a neighbour said he would sometimes take the grandfather to the mosque. “They were a normal family, but you never know how these things happen. They were normal religious guys, you’d never think they were extremists in any way. It’s really shocking and unexpected. | |
| “I feel sorry for the elder members of the family because they probably didn’t know where they were going. If they’re in Syria they might have been taken against their will, they probably thought they were just going on holiday.” | “I feel sorry for the elder members of the family because they probably didn’t know where they were going. If they’re in Syria they might have been taken against their will, they probably thought they were just going on holiday.” |
| News of the family’s disappearance emerged on Wednesday – just weeks after it emerged that three sisters and nine children from Bradford had left for Syria. | News of the family’s disappearance emerged on Wednesday – just weeks after it emerged that three sisters and nine children from Bradford had left for Syria. |
| Although the precise details of both disappearances remain unclear, it appears that there are some parallels. | |
| Like the Bradford family, the missing 12 from Luton were also previously stopped by police when trying to leave the country before being allowed to travel. Both families appear to have rebooked their original journeys and travelled onwards to Syria. | Like the Bradford family, the missing 12 from Luton were also previously stopped by police when trying to leave the country before being allowed to travel. Both families appear to have rebooked their original journeys and travelled onwards to Syria. |