An Eritrean national seeking asylum in the UK has been charged with being a member of Islamic State (IS) and preparing to bomb the UK around the time of the anniversary of the 7/7 attacks.
Munir Hassan Mohammed, 35, had been living in Derby and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Christmas Eve alongside Rowaida El-Hassan, 32, the BBC reports.
Mr. Mohammed is charged with multiple crimes, including engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism, whereby he is thought to have collected bomb-making chemicals.
Other charges included belonging to a proscribed organisation (thought to be IS) and possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
It is also alleged he disseminated terrorist material, the North East Counter-Terrorism Unit said.
Rowaida El Hassan, 32, of Willeston Lane, London, appeared alongside him at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
She is similarly accused of preparing an act of terror and possessing a record of how to build an explosive device inside a mobile phone.
The pair were among six people arrested across the country on December 12, the rest of whom have now been released, police said.
Mr. Mohammed and Ms. El Hassan were among six people arrested in a series of anti-terror raids on Monday, December 12, in Derby, Burton and London, the Derby Telegraph reports.
Three more men from Derby and a man from Burton have since been released without charge as investigators could find no grounds to charge them with any terror offences.
The 7/7 bombings on London’s train and bus networks were the last major, successful terrorist attacks to hit the UK. Since then, authorities have foiled dozens of plots.
The ‘man in the hat’ Mohammed Abrini, who is suspected of being involved in the Paris and Brussels attacks, recently said his network avoided attacking the UK as surveillance tactics used by security services were so extensive.