UK: Four men jailed sending gear to insurgents fighting UK troops.
BBC News
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| The four men were arrested after a lengthy police investigation |
Four men from Birmingham have been jailed for terrorism offences.
Mohammed Nadim, 29, Shahid Ali, 34, and Shabir Mohammed, 30, pleaded guilty to sending gear to insurgents fighting UK troops on the Afghan/Pakistan border.
Nadim, of Bordesley Green, was jailed for three years and Ali, from Ward Green, and Mohammed, from Sparkhill, were jailed for two years, four months.
Abdul Raheem, 32, pleaded guilty to failing to disclose information on terrorism and was jailed for a year.
The jury at the Old Bailey heard how the men supplied kit such as computer parts, mobile phones and camping gear.
The four were members of a terror cell run by Parviz Khan, who was jailed last year for life for plotting to kidnap and behead a soldier.
Nadim, Ali and Mohammed helped Khan send four shipments containing 86 boxes between April 2006 and February 2007.
'Shopping lists'
They were arrested in October 2008 following a "long and painstaking investigation" by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit.
Acting Chief Inspector Dave Cook, who led the investigation, said: "The diligence of the officers involved, and the thoroughness of the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service), meant there was a weight of evidence against the men.
 |  The items are not weapons which are all too easily obtained in the lawless tribal areas  Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson |
"As a result, we are pleased that they decided to plead guilty."
Duncan Atkinson, prosecuting, said Khan had masterminded the operation involving the suspects and others from his home in Foxton Road, Birmingham.
Mr Atkinson said the items were dispatched to be used against British, US and Pakistani forces.
"The items are not weapons which are all too easily obtained in the lawless tribal areas," he said.
"They are sending sophisticated electronic equipment readily available in Western shops."
Khan, described as a "fanatical extremist", identified items which were needed and even came back from Pakistan with "shopping lists".
Members of the cell would buy items from the Argos catalogue and even cut-price supermarkets such as Netto and Lidl.
Balaclavas and thermal clothing would be included with computer software and night-vision binoculars, the court heard.
The shipments were described as household items, relief aid and charity donations.
Mr Atkinson said tens of thousands of pounds had been collected from people who were duped into thinking they were helping earthquake victims. The money was then used to buy the equipment.