Britain’s most notorious hate preacher embarked on a global bid to recruit the next generation of terrorists after being freed from jail.
Anjem Choudary faces life in prison after an unprecedented investigation uncovered he was recruiting followers in Brazil, Canada and the US.
The 57-year-old – whose lectures have spawned beheadings and bomb plots around the world – was also found to be peddling sermons to British school-children as young as 14.
Last night security experts blasted the terms of his prison release, saying Choudary was so dangerous he should never have been freed in the first place.
The cleric was jailed for five years in 2016 for inviting support for Islamic State. He was released from HMP Belmarsh halfway through his sentence in 2018 and made subject to strict licence conditions, including a ban on using the internet.
But, within three weeks of those terms lapsing in July 2021, he started pumping out press releases on social media sites such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
Over the next year Choudary gave more than 40 lectures to a spin-off of his banned Islamist group al-Muhajiroun (ALM) in New York, attracting a global audience.
Following a joint investigation by MI5, Scotland Yard, the NYPD and Canadian police, he was arrested again last July.
In the first prosecution of its kind yesterday, Choudary was convicted of directing a terrorist organisation and encouraging support for it online.
Dominic Murphy, Scotland Yard’s counter-terror boss, said: ‘ALM’s tentacles have spread across the world and have had a massive impact on public safety and security. Over 30 years, Anjem Choudary has been a pretty constant presence.’
A senior security official hailed his conviction as a very ‘significant moment’ in the fight against international terrorism.
But experts said that, given his long history of radicalising followers and encouraging terrorist acts, Choudary should never have been allowed internet access after his release.
Alan Mendoza, of the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, said: ‘He needed to have a different class of conditions and surveillance to keep him from reoffending and trying to radicalise the next generation. The reality was it was no surprise – anyone could have predicted that this is exactly what Choudary would do as soon as he had the means.’
Anthony Glees, of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, said Choudary was too dangerous to ever be released.
He added: ‘I was surprised and horrified when he was released last time round because he has never expressed any remorse for what he has done. He has never once expressed sympathy for those who have died as a result of his evil teachings.
‘He was clearly being monitored by the security services but he had a global reach and understood how to use the internet to his best advantage. But he should not have been in a position to do this in the first place.’
It can be revealed that Choudary used taxpayers’ cash to fund his defence, racking up a significant legal aid bill as he tried to justify his preaching.
Over decades, he is believed to have infected the minds of more than 100 Britons who have plotted to carry out terror attacks at home or abroad.
Khuram Butt, the leader of the London Bridge attackers who killed eight people in 2017, was said to be ‘like a lion out of a cage’ after meeting Choudary.
Usman Khan, who killed two Cambridge students at a prisoners’ conference in Fishmongers’ Hall in 2019, had Choudary’s number on his mobile phone.
And Choudary was so close to Lee Rigby’s killer Michael Adebolajo that he performed his wedding ceremony.
During his trial at London’s Woolwich Crown Court, which heard evidence from American undercover agents, Choudary insisted that ALM had disbanded in 2004. He claimed: ‘It is the Kevin Keegan effect. If you ask people about Kevin Keegan, people say he played football for Liverpool. They look at me as al-Muhajiroun.’
But New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner labelled Choudary a ‘shamelessly prolific radicaliser’ who had a ‘transatlantic reach which was very powerful’.
In one lecture infiltrated by US undercover police, Choudary boasted he had been labelled ‘the number one radicaliser in Britain’, adding: ‘That is a badge of honour for me. It’s a medallion on my chest.’
His downfall came when an MI5 bug planted in his home in east London revealed the preacher admitting to being the leader of ALM. Police swooped weeks later as one of his followers Khaled Hussein, a petrol station attendant from Canada, flew out to meet him in July last year.
Hussein, 29, was also found guilty of being an ALM member. Both will be sentenced on July 30.
May 2014
Omar Bakri Muhammad arrested in Lebanon. Anjem Choudary takes over as “caretaker” leader of ALM.
September 2014
Choudary arrested on suspicion of encouraging support for the banned terrorist group Isis.
July 2016
Choudary convicted alongside Mohammed Rahman for encouraging support for banned terror group Isis.
October 2018
Choudary released from prison on licence.
July 2021
Choudary’s licence conditions expire.
August 18 2021
Choudary hosts Telegram Channel “Call to Islam” – 715 people subscribe to it.
August/September 2021
Khaleed Hussein, along with others linked to Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS), begin social media campaign calling for Bakri Muhammad to be freed from custody in Lebanon.
September 10 2021
Hussein sends message to Canadian undercover officer stating “The Islamic Thinkers Society are actually Al Muhajiroun North America”.
October 2021
NYPD makes first contact with the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command in regard to ongoing investigation into ITS.
November 17 2021
Hussein sends NYPD undercover officer a voice message which states that he is working for “Sheikh Anjem”.
February 2022
Hussein meets Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) undercover officer and sends voice note stating ITS are the “remnants of Al-Muhajiroun”.
Spring 2022
RCMP contacts the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command in relation to ongoing investigation into Hussein.
June 12 2022
Choudary hosts first online lecture for ITS – attended by NYPD undercover officers. Choudary goes on to hold around 40 lectures or classes for ITS up until April 2023.
October 2022
NYPD visits London and meets with the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command to discuss respective investigations and material.
March 9 and 22 2023
Covert recordings of Choudary speaking with his wife discussing his involvement in ITS and ALM.
March 26 2023
Further covert recording of Choudary speaking with other ITS leaders – Akbar Khattak and Abu Hamza.
March 29 and 30 2023
Choudary sends a message to ITS group chat that Bakri Muhammad has been released from prison. Choudary begins sending Bakri Muhammad direct messages the next day.
April 2 2023
Choudary hosts further online lecture with ITS which features Bakri Muhammad as a guest speaker.
April 30 2023
Covert recording of a phone conversation between Choudary and Bakri Muhammad – within this Choudary confirms to Bakri Muhammad that he took over as “caretaker emir” for ALM.
June/July 2023
Met Counter Terrorism Command officers visit the US and Canada to gather further evidence including geo-location restricted video of Choudary detailing his activities with ALM.
June 30 2023
Hussein reveals to a Canadian undercover officer his plans to visit Choudary in London.
July 17 2023
Choudary arrested at his address and Hussein arrested at Heathrow Airport as he arrives into the UK on a flight from Canada.
July 23 2024
Choudary is convicted of directing Al-Muhajiroun and encouraging support for the group online.