UK - 3 guilty in 'Liquid Bomb Plot'

L-R: Abdullah Ali, Tanvir Hussain and Assad Sarwar

A jury at Woolwich Crown Court has delivered verdicts on the so called ‘Liquid Bomb Plot’ which caused widespread disruption following its discovery two years ago. Over the four month trial the jury was shown materials discovered by authorities that police said were to be used in an attack on trans-Atlantic airlines.

Three men, Tanvir Hussain, Abdullah Ali and Assad Sarwar, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder. But the jury was unable to decide whether aircraft had been the intended target. No verdicts were issued on Umar Islam, Waheed Zaman, Arafat Waheed Khan, and Ibrahim Savant. They pleaded guilty on alternate charges of conspiracy to cause a nuisance. A retrial with regards the four men may follow after deliberations amongst the Crown Prosecution Service. One man, Mohammed Gulzar, was cleared of all charges. He was alleged to have been the al-Qaeda contact. Due to a possible retrial, sentencing many be delayed from the earlier stated date of October 3rd [BBC / Sky News].

The discovery of the plot resulted in widespread restriction at airports across the globe. Passenger were no longer allowed to take liquids on board aircraft and carry-on baggage was reduced to one bag. The ban on liquids still persist, though some airports have relaxed the baggage restrictions.