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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
(about 4 hours later)
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 allowed to leave the UK despite being stopped the previous day at Heathrow and having their house raided by counter-terror officers.
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, are missing after leaving the UK for a holiday to Bangladesh on 10 April.
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. Police confirmed on Thursday that the family, including a one-year-old baby and two grandparents, were prevented from flying to the south Asian country on 9 April.
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. Officers at Heathrow airport stopped and questioned one relative, understood to be 21-year-old Rajia Khanom, under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act while detectives searched the family’s terraced home in Luton.
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. But the family were allowed to continue their journey after police found no suggestion that they were heading to Syria. They have been missing since 17 May and are now thought to be in the Islamic State-controlled region.
A Bedfordshire police spokeswoman said: “There was no information, either through the schedule 7 or search, which suggested that any of the family were intending to travel to Syria, so they were allowed to travel the following day without any police intervention.”
The stop by police emerged as it was confirmed that 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. The BBC reported that the family had contacted relatives in the UK saying they were in Syria, however police said that had not been corroborated.
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. The spokeswoman added: “While the suggestion is that the party’s current location is in Syria, this remains uncorroborated and our inquiries are continuing. We are not prepared to comment any further due to the fact there is an ongoing investigation.”
There are concerns for the health of 75-year-old Muhammed Mannan, who has diabetes, and his wife, Minera Khatun, 53, who has throat 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.”
Seperately on Thursday, a family friend said one of the family’s daughters was on the police radar before she booked the flight to Bangladesh because of her alleged links to Islamist radicals in Luton.
“I don’t think the rest of the family were aware of this,” said the friend, who declined to be named.
“I don’t think the brothers knew the extent of their sisters’ radicalisation, they knew they had soft radical views but they didn’t know they were fully involved with this extremist group, they weren’t expecting that they would be where they are now.”
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. At the family home, a neighbour said he would sometimes take the grandfather to the mosque and that the grandparents must have been taken to Syria against their will.
“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.” Ashuk Ahmed, a community leader who has known the family for 35 years, added: “This family would be last on my list to be radicalised. They’re a very genuine and loving family. I don’t believe the father and mother were aware of what was happening.”
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. He said the three sons were running successful businesses as electricians and plumbers and were not involved in “anything radical”. “They weren’t even strict practising Muslims,” he added. “I believe most of the family were duped by one or two individuals, they thought they were genuinely going on holiday to Bangladesh.”
Although the precise details of both disappearances remain unclear, it appears that there are some parallels. Akbar Dad Khan, a local resident and chairman of Building Bridges, a community organisation which aims to engage Muslim communities with mainstream British society, said the reasoning behind any moves to Syria were based on joining the power struggle between Shia and Sunni factions of Islam. “People decide to join one of the sides and be part of the struggle against supremacy for their faction,” he said.
“They are lured into believing life under Isis is wonderful and all Islamic. They think if we go there and survive we become part of the state, and if we don’t we go to paradise. They decide to take up either of those options.
“This must have come through a very serious kind of radicalisation. And once someone gets into this territory they’re never allowed out. They become in a sense hostages, even if they didn’t go there by choice.”
The family’s disappearance was confirmed 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.