Daniel Abed Khalife, a former British soldier who had been facing terrorism-related charges, escaped from Wandsworth prison in south London on Wednesday, prompting a major manhunt. According to a BBC report, Khalife had been accused of attempting to gather information for Iran.
Khalife’s escape raised concerns about potential security threats, leading to heightened security checks at ports and airports amid fears that the 21-year-old might attempt to leave the country.
The charges against Khalife include the collection of information that could be advantageous to an enemy, with the BBC indicating that the “enemy” mentioned in the charge is Iran.
Metropolitan Police Commander Dominic Murphy stated that there have been no confirmed sightings of Khalife, and investigators are keeping an “open mind” regarding his possible whereabouts. Murphy noted Khalife’s resourcefulness, likely attributed to his military background.
At the time of his escape, Khalife was reported to have been working in the prison kitchen and was wearing a white T-shirt and red-and-white checkered trousers.
Khalife had previously appeared in a London court on January 28, where he was remanded in custody over two incidents at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Stafford, central England, near the army barracks where he resided. He faced charges related to attempting to obtain information that could be useful for an act of terrorism in August 2021 and a bomb hoax involving a suspect device placed at the RAF base on January 2 of the current year.
His trial at Woolwich Crown Court, which is connected to Belmarsh prison, had been scheduled to commence on November 13.