A 21-year-old man has been convicted of disseminating terrorist material after his mobile phone was seized during a stop and search at Heathrow Airport. Ali Yumakci, of Northumberland Park, was arrested as part of an investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command into online Islamist terrorist material.
The Met Police said he was stopped at Heathrow Airport on June 23, 2023, and analysis of his phone revealed he had sent a number of pro-Daesh videos and material to a WhatsApp Group were assessed as a breach of section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
He was subsequently charged with three counts of this offence. Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Schedule 7 stops, which allow police to question, search and detain people at ports, can be vital in securing evidence against those involved in terrorism offences.
“There is no place for hateful, terrorist ideology to be spread online and where we identify people who we believe to be committing offences, we will investigate and take action.”
Yumakci was convicted of two counts of disseminating terrorist material after a one-week trial at the Old Bailey.
He will be sentenced at the same court on November 28.
Credits: Heathrow Airport
