Birmingham man GUILTY of funding terror 'The Man in the Hat'

Zakaria Boufassil has been discovered responsible of funding terrorism after handing £three,000 to the fear suspect often known as 'The Man within the Hat'

A Belgian residing in Birmingham faces jail after he was discovered responsible of supplying £three,000 in overpaid housing profit to the so-called 'Man within the Hat' terror suspect within the Brussels Airport bombing.

Mohammed Abrini, a courier for the Paris and Brussels terrorist cell, visited Britain in July final yr to gather the money.

Zakaria Boufassil, 26, handed over the cash in Small Heath Park in Birmingham after taking elaborate measures to evade detection.

A second man, Mohammed Ali Ahmed, 27, additionally took half within the hand-over and pleaded responsible 4 weeks in the past.

Boufassil was in the present day discovered responsible of making ready acts of terrorism by supplying the cash to Abrini between July 9 and July 16 final yr.

On April eight this yr, Abrini, 31, was arrested in Belgium and accused of 'collaborating in terrorist acts' linked to the Brussels Zaventem Airport suicide bombing on March 22.

The Belgian Moroccan can be needed by French authorities for the November 13, 2015, assaults in Paris through which 130 folks died.

Ahmed and Boufassil handed over the cash close to Small Heath Park in Birmingham after taking elaborate measures to evade detection.

Mohammed Abrini was caught on digicam fleeing Brussels airport after the bombing in March and he's accused of taking part in a job within the Paris and Brussels assaults

The cash had been withdrawn from a British checking account within the title Anouar Haddouchi, one other Belgian who had been residing in Birmingham however had already joined ISIS.

The account contained overpaid housing advantages totalling £5,413 which had been paid between December 21, 2014, and November 1, 2015. 

Haddouchi and his spouse, Julie Maes, a convert additionally from Belgium, together with one other Belgian referred to as Abelatif Gaini, had all departed from Britain to affix ISIS.

Abrini has advised Belgian police that the cash was given to the brother of Abelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind behind the Paris assaults, who spent all of it on 'going out, vehicles and garments.'

Abrini grew to become often known as the 'Man In The Hat' after his suspected involvement in March's Brussels terror assault

In reality, detectives consider that it went in direction of funding the cell that launched the assaults that killed 162 folks.

Investigators consider Abrini's journey to Manchester United stadium, the Bull Ring Procuring Centre in Birmingham and quite a lot of casinos through the journey to Britain was probably to be a part of his cowl as a vacationer, reasonably than a scouting mission.

In court docket, Boufassil claimed that he was a cannabis-smoking dupe, who had been utilized by Ahmed to ship the cash.

However name knowledge revealed he had been in fixed contact with Ahmed across the time of the change and had spoken to Abrini by cellphone afterwards.

Max Hill QC, prosecuting, mentioned 'there will be little question that the cash was handed over with the intention of aiding acts of terrorism.

'The vacation spot of the cash would come with Syria, and particularly Daesh, both to Haddouchi himself or to different fighters.'

He advised the jury: 'This case, chances are you'll suppose, provides you a glimpse of how terrorists work, how they put together.

'They want cash. Little doubt it is available in all quantities and from many sources. This case simply reveals one event, one supply, one piece of the jigsaw of so-called Islamic State.' 

The handover of the cash passed off in Small Heath Park in Birmingham in July final yr

The trial heard that Abrini denied any plan to assault Britain, saying: 'Neither in London, nor in Birmingham, nor in Manchester, have I been on any reconnaissance journeys in relation to preparatory terrorist assaults.'

He added: 'There is not any plan to focus on England as a possible website for a terrorist act. From what I do know, it is France who's the declared enemy of Islamic State.

'I feel England has a extra developed secret service, higher commentary strategies and many others... and it is due to this fact tougher to assault. I've not heard both of contacts with any English nationals in Syria.' 

Mohammed Ali Ahmed admitted handing over the cash. Each he and Boufassil now face jail sentences

Talking after in the present day's verdicts, Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale of West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit, mentioned police consider there was 'nothing sinister' in the remainder of Abrini's go to to Britain after the assembly at Small Heath.

However he warned that the risk had 'by no means been broader or deeper,' regardless of Abrini's denial that ISIS would goal Britain.

'All of this illustrates the risk we face from Daesh and it'll solely get tougher because the army squeeze will increase and fighters are pushed again to Europe, however we've got by no means been higher ready.

'We're grateful that this group seemed within the different course however others do not maintain that respect and there's nonetheless a real and actual risk to the UK.' 

Throughout the trial Boufassil admitted assembly Abrini within the park, however denied it had something to do terrorism and its funding.

He insisted that Ahmed had 'by no means communicated' his plans, 'took benefit of his naivety' and had not advised him that Abrini, who he claimed to by no means have met, was a 'unhealthy particular person'.

Boufassil and Ahmed shall be sentenced on December 12 at London's Kingston Crown Court docket.

Investigators uncovered this lodge receipt which confirmed Abrini stayed in Birmingham

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