Terrorists who plotted ‘Three Musketeers’ London Bridge-style knife rampage jailed for life

From the London Evening Standard

A group of terrorists who dubbed themselves the Three Musketeers as they plotted a London Bridge-style atrocity have been jailed for life. 

Naweed Ali, 29, Khobaib Hussain, 25 and Mohibur Rahman, 33, were “determined” extremists who collected together a small arsenal of weapons as their plot gathered speed. They recruited a fourth member, Tahir Aziz, 38, to join the plan, hatched during 2016  which was in the final stages of planning and “imminent”, the Old Bailey heard. 

However, MI5 agents had the group under surveillance and swooped before an attack could take place. 

Mr Justice Globe this morning imposed life sentences on all four extremists. The judge said the recent terrorist attacks in Manchester and London Bridge “demonstrate in stark form the carnage that can be created by different types of terrorist attack’. 

Mr Justice Globe told the court nothing short of life sentences were appropriate as all four were dangerous and posed an ongoing risk to the public. 

He ordered that Ali, Hussain, and Rahman should serve at least 20 years behind bars, while Aziz, who joined the plot later on, should serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars. 

Naweed Ali, Khobaib Hussain and Mohibur Rahman

Aziz was the only defendant who came to court this morning, sitting with his head bowed through most of the hearing. 

His three co-defendants refused to leave HMP Belmarsh to attend court.