Taliban supporter jailed for terrorism offences in wake of Old Bailey trial

Appearing at The Old Bailey on 15 October, Choudhary was sentenced to a total of seven years’ imprisonment, with an additional year to be served on an extended licence.

Detectives and investigators identified that Choudhary sent thermal imaging night vision rifle scopes to Pakistan on a number of occasions in 2017 and 2018. He later admitted that the images in question were intended for use by the Taliban which, at the time, launched various attacks against the (then) Government and coalition forces in Afghanistan. 

Acting Commander Gareth Rees of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “This case is a prime example of how terrorist activity can take many different forms and shows that we will investigate anyone in the UK who supports terrorist activity, regardless of what their actions may be in support of or to where it may be linked.”

Rees added: “This was a unique case where Government colleagues identified potential terrorist-related activity and shared information with us. Further enquiries conducted by Counter Terrorism Command officers have led to Choudhary being convicted and jailed for various terrorism offences.” 

Mike Pass, assistant director of the fraud investigation service at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, stated: “The UK operates a strict licensing regime to uphold international sanctions and ensure that military equipment does not fall into the wrong hands. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure effective controls and enforcement on military goods, which contributes to the UK’s national security.”

Seizure at Heathrow Airport

Choudhary first came to the attention of His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs officials after a seizure of rifle scopes at Heathrow Airport in January 2018. It was identified that Choudhary was the person behind the consignment, which was intended for an address in Pakistan.

Further enquiries revealed that Choudhary bought the sniper sights from legitimate hunting suppliers. He was interviewed under caution by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs investigators and later admitted during an interview that the recipient and end users were members of the Taliban.

As a result, this information was passed to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command and officers launched an investigation, which resulted in Choudhary being charged with various terrorism offences in September 2023.

At The Old Bailey in January, Choudhary pleaded guilty to a charge of fundraising for the purposes of terrorism (contrary to Section 15 of the Terrorism Act 2000) and two charges of making funding arrangements for the purposes of terrorism (contrary to Section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000).

Previously, Choudhary was charged with 23 offences under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. He pleaded not guilty to these offences at a hearing in February and it was agreed for these offences to remain on file.