A massive UK manhunt is underway after an ex-soldier facing terrorism charges slipped out of a London jail by strapping himself to the bottom of a van while dressed as a chef — with his escape going unnoticed for almost an hour.
Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, is believed to have gone missing inside Wandsworth Prison at around 7am on Wednesday — with the alarm raised just before 8am, according to The Times of London.
He was working the morning shift in the prison’s kitchen and was wearing a chef’s uniform of a white T-shirt and red plaid pants when he lashed himself with a rope to the bottom of a departing food delivery van, police said.
The manhunt quickly alerted Britain’s ports and airports, including London Heathrow – Britain’s busiest airport – where travelers face delays due to extra security checks amid fears Khalife will try to escape.
A nationwide manhunt has been launched in the UK for escaped prisoner Daniel Abed Khalife.via REUTERS
Khalife, 21, sneaked out of Wandsworth Victoria Prison in London dressed as a chef on Wednesday morning. AP
Khalife has been accused of planting three fake canister bombs at a military base and leaking sensitive information to Iran.
Charges for breaching Britain’s Official Secrets Act accuse him of collecting information “likely to be useful to a person who commits or prepares an act of terrorism.”
The soldier was dismissed from the army in May following his arrest. Khalife has denied any wrongdoing. His trial is set for November.
Police warned the public not to approach Khalife, although Commander Dominic Murphy, head of London police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said there was no information to suggest the fugitive posed a threat to the public.
Khalife escaped by tying himself to the bottom of a food delivery van.AFP via Getty Images
Trucks line up for the Port of Dover along the A20 in Kent as security checks are carried out amid ongoing efforts to trace Khalife.PA Images via Getty Images
“We have a team of officers who are doing a detailed investigation and are pressing to locate and arrest Khalife as soon as possible,” Murphy said.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk addressed the House of Commons on Thursday, vowing that Khalife would be “trapped in time.”
However, he called for an immediate investigation into London prison protocols and the decision not to detain Khalife in a maximum security prison.
“Not a single thing should be left unturned to find out what happened,” Chalk told parliament.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
