A UK court has convicted a 20-year-old man, Shuja Gibraeel Mohsin, for possessing and circulating Islamist terrorist material following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London.
Mohsin, from Mitcham, was found guilty on 19 June after a two-week trial at the Old Bailey. He is scheduled to be sentenced on 14 August.
According to the UK Metropolitan Police, Mohsin was stopped by counterterrorism officers at Heathrow Airport in January 2024 after returning from a trip to Pakistan.
A forensic examination of his mobile phone and a USB storage device uncovered evidence that he had accessed extremist content and joined online groups linked to proscribed terrorist organisations, including the Taliban, Hamas and Daesh.
Investigators also found a bomb-making manual on his device, along with Daesh execution videos that he had shared with an online contact.
The court convicted Mohsin on one count of possessing a document likely to be useful for terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, in relation to the bomb-making manual.
He was also found guilty on two counts of disseminating terrorist publications under Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 for sharing Daesh execution videos.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the investigation showed that Mohsin began engaging with extremist material and ideology when he was about 14 or 15 years old.
"Our investigation showed that Mohsin was being drawn into extremist and terrorist material and ideologies from when he was only 14 or 15 years old. This is reflective of a growing trend and concern over children and young people being radicalised and accessing extremely dangerous and violent terrorist ideologies and material online," she said.
Flanagan urged parents and guardians to monitor their children's online activities and seek support if they become concerned about exposure to extremist content.
"It’s vital that parents and carers are aware of what children are doing on the internet. I would implore you to have conversations, to be inquisitive about what your children are doing online, and if you have any concerns, then there is help available to you via the ACT Early website," she said.
She added that downloading or sharing terrorist material online carries serious legal consequences, saying Mohsin's conviction should serve as a reminder of the risks.
