Mother jailed for trying to smuggle her four children into Syria

Walthamstow again. From the Waltham Forest Guardian

The sister-in-law of the alleged Isis executioner known as ‘Jihadi Sid’ has been jailed for three years for trying to smuggle her four young children into Syria.

Zahera Tariq, of Walthamstow, disappeared last summer with her daughter and three sons, aged between five and 13, sparking an international manhunt when her distraught husband alerted the police.

The 33-year-old denied four counts of child abduction but was found guilty by the jury after a four day trial and sentenced today (February 23) at Southwark Crown Court. She was trying to join one of her four sisters, Aisha Tariq, who fled the country in September 2014 with her husband Siddhartha Dhar and their four children.

A propaganda video released last month allegedly showed Mr Dhar, the former bouncy castle salesman from Walthamstow, murdering five hostages.

Tariq’s husband, 42-year-old Mahmood, worked six days a week at a dry cleaners in Edmonton. He was described as a “straightforward man of no sophistication” who was unable to give police the exact ages of his own children. He was completely unaware of his wife’s plans and had not given permission for her to take the children.

Upon the family’s repatriation to the UK, Tariq was initially held at Luton airport. She answered “no comment” to all questions put to her by police