Two men jailed for combined total of 63 years for plotting mass shooting against Jews

Waalid’s brother, Bilel, was sentenced to six years for failing to disclose the plot.

The judge says he is sure Saadaoui and Hussein were "very close" to carrying out the plan, which would have targeted Jewish schools, synagogues and shops.

Saadaoui, of Abram, Wigan, and Hussein, of no fixed address, were convicted by a jury in December of preparing acts of terrorism between December 2023 and May 2024.

Main instigator Saadaoui aimed to smuggle four AK-47 assault rifles, two handguns and 900 rounds of ammunition into the UK in what police chiefs said could have been Britain’s deadliest terrorist incident.

Months earlier the father-of-two, originally from Tunisia, paid a deposit for the weapons and believed he had arranged for their importation with a like-minded extremist but who in fact was the UCO, referred to in court as Farouk.

Saadaoui told Farouk he could independently obtain a firearm via Sweden and indicated he was looking to bring guns from eastern Europe. Separately he had bought an air weapon and had visited a shooting range.

Counter-terrorism police intervened on May 8 2024, with more than 200 officers involved, as Saadaoui was arrested at a hotel car park in Bolton when he went to collect some of the firearms, which had been deactivated.

No specific attack target site or date was identified but prosecutors said the defendants planned to launch a gun assault on an antisemitism march and then head to north Manchester to kill more Jews.

Saadaoui hero-worshipped Islamic State (IS) terrorist Abdelhamid Abaaoud who orchestrated the 2015 Paris terror attacks in which 130 people were killed and hundreds more injured in gun attacks across the city.

He came to the attention of the authorities when he used 10 Facebook accounts, none of which were in his own name, to spread a torrent of Islamic extremist views, as Farouk was deployed to gain his trust online and later in person.

Saadaoui recruited fellow IS sympathiser Hussein, a Kuwaiti national, who worked and lived at a furniture shop in Bolton, Greater Manchester, to assist his plans.

The pair travelled to Dover, Kent, in March 2024 to conduct hostile reconnaissance on how a weapon could be smuggled through the port without detection.

On his return, Saadaoui travelled to Prestwich and Higher Broughton in north Manchester where he carried out similar surveillance on Jewish nurseries, schools, synagogues and shops.

A safe house was also secured in Bolton for the storage of the weapons as both men returned to Dover two months later where they believed they were watching the firearms coming into the country.

Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Stephen Watson praised the "brilliant work" of an undercover operative and counter-terrorism officers in foiling Saadaoui and Hussein.

He said: "This was a genuinely chilling case of people who embodied and, in many respects, were absolutely intent on bringing into the true manifestation of awfulness, a hatred of Jewish people.

"Their intent was to slaughter innocent people for no better reason than their religion. These are committed terrorists.

"It was their intention to commit mass murder. This is not a hyperbolic use of language. This was their intent and it was that they were brought up short because of the brilliant work of some very courageous, very professional and very decent people.

"There was the avoidance of something which I genuinely believe would have been truly awful and would have ranked right up there with the worst of the atrocities that we have seen across the world."

Head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division Frank Ferguson said: "This was a deeply disturbing plot inspired by extremist ideology.

"Had these terrorists succeeded, it would have led to mass murder and been one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities in this country.

"The investigation and prosecution deployed a highly trained witness who made sure their plot did not succeed and secured valuable evidence directly from the mouths of the terrorists.

"This laid bare their intention to destroy lives, their long-held attitudes and beliefs as well as their ISIS credentials.

"We worked closely with counter-terrorism officers to ensure the strongest possible case was built from the outset and presented in court to the jury, resulting in these convictions.

"Terrorism is an attack on the very fabric of our society. We will always use the law to protect communities from harm and relentlessly hold offenders to account, making sure they face the toughest legal consequences for their actions."

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds responsibility for Counter Terrorism Policing in the North West, said: "Today’s sentencing brings a conclusion to one of the most significant terrorist plot disruptions we have seen in the UK for several years.

"Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein intended to target members of the Jewish community in an evil act born out of hate and intolerance.

"If they had been successful, then what followed would have been devastating and potentially one of the deadliest terrorist attacks to ever take place on UK soil.

"Walid was the ringleader. Through conversations with an undercover operative, we know – in detail – the extremist views that he held. He was the driving force behind the plot and he recruited Hussein to join him.

"He claimed during the trial that he was merely paying lip service and actually intended to sabotage his own plot at the last minute. This account is FAR from the truth.

"In Hussein he found a like-minded individual who did not need to be convinced to join. Hussein spoke openly to detectives following his arrest about his support of ISIS and cast judgement on others who did not hold the same extremist views that he held.

"Walid also discussed the plot and the action he had been taking openly with his brother, Bilel. "Although Bilel was not an active participant in preparations for the plot, the fact he knew what was planned but chose to remain silent makes him as guilty as the others. Being aware of a plan to cause such devastation and knowing that you could act to prevent it, but choosing not to, is simply not good enough.

"Our overwhelming priority during this proactive operation was ensuring public safety and we never lost sight of that. Each decision we made was rooted in this principle and the operation was highly controlled and resourced throughout.

"It was important for us to build the strongest possible case to take these dangerous men off the streets for a significant period of time and protect the public from them long-term.

"As evidenced by the sentences passed today, we have achieved that.

"I want to thank all those involved in this operation. We’ve worked with colleagues across CT and local policing, partner agencies and community organisations. The scale of the operation has been huge, and we would not be here without everybody's efforts.

"I’d also like to express my sincere gratitude to the undercover operative who put himself in significant danger each time he met with two would-be terrorists. At any point he could have become a target himself, but he risked his personal safety in the name of wider public protection.

"This case has taken place at a time of heightened concern and anxiety within the Jewish community. The trial began the week after the appalling terrorist attack that took place in Greater Manchester and concluded soon after the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney.

"We have worked closely with stakeholders, including the Community Security Trust, throughout proceedings to address any concerns and provide reassurance.

"We will continue to do so and we remain dedicated to making sure all communities feel safe from the threat of terrorism and bringing those who would seek to harm them to justice. I hope that the significant outcome from this highly resourced, proactive investigation underlines that commitment."