A convicted jihadist subject to an official exclusion order managed to slip across the English Channel in a lorry before a broken car light in West Yorkshire finally exposed his identity.
Police officers in West Yorkshire pulled over a vehicle for a broken light earlier this month, only to discover they had caught a convicted Isis-linked terrorist who had entered Britain illegally.
Zana Abdul Rahman Rahim, 43, arrived in Dover in June after travelling from France in the back of a lorry. He made the journey despite being banned from the UK under a formal exclusion order and after making several previous attempts to enter the country.
A routine background check during the traffic stop laid bare his terrorist history. Rahim has since admitted unlawful entry and is due to be sentenced on October 30, with the Home Office expected to seek his deportation.
The Times first reported the lapse, which allowed the convicted jihadist to remain undetected in the country until a faulty car light drew the attention of police.
Jihadist network targeted Western targets
Rahim was previously jailed in Italy for seven and a half years for his leading role in Rawti Shax, an extremist network planning attacks against Western targets. Court documents in Italy revealed the jihadist group ran a training camp in Syria and attempted to acquire weapons for use across Europe.
Rawti Shax was established by Kurdish Islamist preacher Najmadin Faraj Ahmad, better known as Mullah Krekar. Krekar, who is Rahim’s father-in-law, sought to establish a caliphate and maintained links with al-Qaeda-affiliated Kurdish militants.
When Krekar was imprisoned in Norway in 2012, members of the network discussed kidnapping high-profile figures to secure his release. Their targets included the British ambassador.
During his father-in-law’s imprisonment, Rahim acted as Krekar’s spokesman and right-hand man, helping to coordinate network activities and maintain relationships with financiers.
Derby car washer led extremist cell
A coordinated European police operation arrested 16 suspected operatives in 2015. At the time, Rahim was living in Derby and working washing cars.
Extradition proceedings in Britain revealed the scale of the group’s objectives. Julian Knowles, representing the Italian authorities, described their aims as “international terrorism” involving “violent actions against western targets”.
Mr Knowles said Rahim was regarded as a senior figure who helped direct the organisation and oversee its financial relationships. Rahim initially resisted extradition before being sent to Italy to serve his sentence.
Krekar was extradited from Norway to Italy in 2020 and jailed for 12 years for planning terrorist acts.
Border security questioned after illegal entry
The case has prompted criticism from Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who warned that the incident exposed serious weaknesses in national border security.
Chris Philp stated:
This shows that the UK’s border crisis is also a security crisis. Illegal immigrants have committed numerous crimes including murder and multiple rapes.
This shocking case shows illegal immigrants are also a security risk. An evil Islamist terrorist who plotted to kidnap diplomats and arm extremists is now here. He should be urgently deported.
Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary
A Home Office spokesperson said foreign nationals who received prison sentences in the UK were referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity and barred from returning.
Rahim’s case raises fresh questions about how a man subject to an exclusion order was able to enter Britain and remain in the country until a routine traffic stop exposed his identity.