Man guilty of spreading terrorist material

A man pleaded guilty yesterday to distributing terrorist propaganda and helping someone breach a control order.

Abdul Rahman, 25, also admitted at Manchester Crown Court to possessing an article for a purpose connected with the commission or instigation of an act of terrorism.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, head of the Greater Manchester Police Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "He was clearly intent on drawing others into his network."

Mr Rahman was arrested in January, two-and-a-half years after arriving in the country from Pakistan on a student visa to do a biotechnology course at university which he quit within days.

He was arrested for aiding or abetting an individual to breach a control order by paying for a flight ticket out of Britain to Lahore. During a search of Mr Rahman's Manchester home detectives found a package to be sent to Pakistan and a letter from Afghanistan glorifying terrorist acts.

The package contained combat knives, a mobile phone linked to the individual who had fled the country, another mobile phone and chargers.

The "call to jihad" letter had been sent by a man who had shared a house with Mr Rahman, and who asked him to disseminate it to "brothers" in the UK.

The individual is suspected of taking part in terrorist acts against coalition forces in Afghanistan since he fled the UK last year. He is now barred from returning to Britain.

Also found during the search were video clips of an expedition to the Lake District in snow where Mr Rahman, the former house-mate and a third individual are seen undertaking military-style training and making references to martyrdom.

The third man is also subject to an exclusion order preventing him entering the UK.

Detective Chief Superintendent Porter added: "At the very least with this successful prosecution and other activities, we have disrupted a network intent on providing logistical support and recruits for terrorist training overseas and action against our forces in Afghanistan."