Taxi Driver Online

Taxi firm owner with Cardiff school contracts appears in court on conspiracy charge



A taxi driver whose firm has contracts with several schools appeared in court yesterday charged following a counter-terrorism investigation into a network suspected of smuggling a banned stimulant drug from Britain to America.


Married father-of-six Daud Ali, 40, of Wakehurst Place, St Mellons, Cardiff, was also charged with possession of a fake Norwegian passport.

He was held – along with co-defendants Adrian Wall, 49, and Liiban Nursharif, 30 – on Tuesday after officers swooped on homes in Cardiff, London and Coventry.

The men were arrested under the Terrorism Act as part of an investigation into the illegal exportation of khat to the US and Canada where it is a controlled substance.

The three men are jointly accused of conspiracy for allegedly mislabelling parcels being sent from the UK.

The three defendants spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses when they were brought before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London.

They sat with arms folded during the hour-long hearing where Ali and Nursharif were remanded in custody.

Wall was granted bail subject to restrictions.

The three suspects were among seven people arrested by the Met's counter-terrorism command during a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation earlier this week.

The remaining four suspects – a woman aged 45 and three men aged 47, 45 and 42 - continue to be held under the Terrorism Act, Scotland Yard said.

Homeland Security Investigations in America and officers from the UK’s counter terrorism network, the UK Border Agency and local forces were also involved in the operation.

Wall, a married father of four of Pitt Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey; Nursharif, a single man of no fixed abode and Ali will next appear at Southwark Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing on July 6.

source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... z1u4wtYM8G

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Britain's been for to long an open door to all, now we are starting to pay the price of such a policy.

We should have been and should still be far more selective as to who comes here and from where. I'm sure Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA have far tighter Immigration laws and Qualifying status than we do. These particular terrorists may well be 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation emigres but its still a case of Britain having become a Cauldron of multi National and religious resentments...and this Cauldrons just about over flowing.

High time our Government got tough on stopping or at least slowing down dramatically the influx of the Millions more that want to settle on these tiny wee set of Islands we call Great Britain.

Holder of a Norwegian passport?

ffs

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

How does this make them terrorists?

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Grandad,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khat#United_Kingdom

United Kingdom

Although concerns have been expressed by commentators, health professionals and community members about the use of khat in the UK, particularly by immigrants from Somalia, Yemen and Ethiopia, currently it is not a controlled substance.[47][48] As a result of these concerns, the Home Office commissioned successive research studies to look into the matter, and in 2005, presented the question of khat's legal status before the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. After a review of the evidence, the expert committee recommended in January 2006 that the status of khat as a legal substance should remain for the time being.[47]

In 2008, Conservative politician Sayeeda Warsi stated that a future Conservative government would ban khat.[49] The website of the Conservative Party, which is now the largest party in a coalition government in the UK, previously stated that a Conservative government would "Tackle unacceptable cultural practices by", amongst other measures, "classifying Khat".[50] In 2009, the Home Office commissioned two new studies in the effects of khat use and in June 2010, a Home Office spokesperson stated: "The Government is committed to addressing any form of substance misuse and will keep the issue of khat use under close scrutiny".[51]

Because it is legal in the UK, and because of khat's short shelf life, Britain serves as a main gateway for khat being sent by air to North America.[52]

During a debate on the legality on the 11 January 2012, UK Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes Mark Lancaster, Conservative, stated importation of Khat into the UK stands at 10 tonnes every week.[53]

hmmmm.....legal here....illegal in the US.....doesnt make them terrorists to me either grandad.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Perhaps they are suggesting that the funds raised by the sale of khat is for terrorist purposes Or perhaps the effects of khat makes it easier to sway the minds of those that take it Or they couldn't get them on anything else so like other authorities before them they have taken the terrorist angle and abused it

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Wasn't cardiff highlighted last year as a place where chewing Khat is commonplace ?

Sounds to me as though this is a drug smuggling operation rather than a terrorist cell

Although ever since the days of the IRA every terrorist organisation in the world has used drug smuggling as a fund raiser

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

This is Beetlenut isn't it? Asian toothpaste iirc, leaves the chewer with what looks like bleeding gums.

A sugestion about what the funds are being used for is not enough to warrent an arrest and charge in this country are they? I thought there was such a thing as proof needed.

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Grandad,

Doom:~ Khat is a leaf that one needs to chew for quite a long time. The leaf looses its potency about 6 to 8 days after it was picked.

It produces a "high" but not until quite a while after you have chewed the leaf. Apparently Khat users chew for hours on end and it is said to make them more alert.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

Can I get some in Manchester ?

Almost certainly. Next time you have an Ethiopian in the car, ask him.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

So in other words the taxman isn't getting a cut and doesn't like it?

Working to that they should nick em for being cabbies, because if this leafs profits fund bombs, so does a % of cab driver earnings as well, well highlighted Pops.

You're guess is as good as mine, why do you think I have confused expression

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!