A Manchester man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to terrorism offences linked to supporting Islamic State and plotting attacks against Jewish communities.
Mohammed Saeed, 24, was described by prosecutors as a "committed extremist" who expressed admiration for the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing and collected detailed instructions on creating explosives and poisons.
Disturbing Online Activity Uncovered
Investigators discovered Saeed had been actively researching methods to commit mass murder, including:
- Downloading bomb-making manuals from ISIS publications
- Collecting information on creating deadly poisons
- Researching knife attack methodologies
- Accessing terrorist propaganda videos
Counter-terrorism police identified Saeed after he used his mother's phone to access extremist content while working at Manchester Airport in a role that did not involve security-sensitive areas.
Targeting Jewish Communities
The court heard how Saeed had expressed specific interest in attacking Jewish targets, telling an undercover officer he wanted to "do something" against the Jewish community and praising attacks on Jewish people.
Prosecutor Annabel Darlow stated: "He expressed an interest in and support for committing a terrorist attack and indicated he had a specific focus on the Jewish community."
Admission of Guilt
Saeed pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing information useful to a terrorist and three counts of disseminating terrorist publications. The judge at Manchester Crown Court emphasized the seriousness of the offences, noting the defendant's "determination" to access extremist material.
Detective Chief Superintendent Andrew Meeks, head of Counter-Terrorism Policing North West, described the case as "another example of the very real threat we face from terrorism" and praised the work of investigators in preventing potential attacks.
