Extremist jailed for life over plot to attack London landmarks

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury had been cleared of attacking police with a samurai sword before he was arrested over a plot to kill tourists

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury was jailed for life after plotting a gun and knife rampage at London tourist sites. Metropolitan police

A British extremist has been jailed for life after he revealed to undercover police officers plans to carry out a deadly terrorist attack at popular London tourist sites.

Mohiussunnath Chowdhury revealed his plans to the four officers during a five-month surveillance operation after he was acquitted by a jury in December 2018 of injuring two police with a samurai sword outside Buckingham Palace, the London residence of Queen Elizabeth II.

The unsuspecting 29-year-old boasted to the officers that he was planning to use guns, knives and a van to kill members of the public.

The chicken shop worker was considering targeting an open-top bus tour of the capital, waxwork museum Madame Tussauds and the annual Pride in London parade in the city.

Judge Andrew Lees told Chowdhury that he was devoted to the cause of violent Islamist extremism and was satisfied that he had been planning an imminent attack. He said his conversations with the undercover officers were “focused” and “fanatical”.

He told the “dangerous” Chowdhury that “the danger that you present is ongoing, it's not possible to say when that danger will abate”. He told him that he would serve a minimum of 25 years in jail.

The former Uber driver was said to be driven by dreams of martyrdom and had prepared for the attack by lifting weights, booking a shooting range session and trying to secure a gun.

At his trial over the samurai sword attack, he claimed he had not intended to kill anyone but wanted police to shoot him because he was depressed about the war in Yemen.

But he told a different story to the undercover officers after his acquittal, saying that he wanted to kill soldiers. “I’m doing another attack, bruv. I’m serious bro, it’s about time now,” he said in a secretly recorded conversation.

He was arrested more than seven months after he was released from detention and three days before the pride parade in the British capital.