Two men who plotted a mass shooting that could have become “one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities” in the UK have been given life sentences.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, hatched a plan to smuggle four high-powered military-grade AK-47 rifles, two pistols and 900 rounds of ammunition into the UK and unleash what police chiefs said could have been Britain’s deadliest terrorist incident.
Alongside Amar Hussein, 52, he had intended to cause “untold harm” by opening fire on a march against antisemitism in Manchester city centre before moving to attack an area of the city occupied predominantly by the Jewish community.
The plot was foiled after Saadaoui, of Abram in Wigan, shared his deadly preparations online with a man he believed shared his ideology. Unbeknown to him, Saadaoui was actually in contact with an undercover operative – later identified in court proceedings as “Farouk” to protect his identity.
Saadaoui and Hussein, both of no fixed address, were jailed for life on Friday at Preston Crown Court, with minimum terms of 37 years and 26 years respectively.
Mr Justice Wall told the defendants that if their plot had succeeded, it would “likely have been one of the deadliest terror attacks ever carried out on British soil”.
He said: “I am sure this would have led to the deaths of many people and serious injuries to many, many more.
“Your plan envisaged you and two others discharging AK-47s into a large crowd of marchers, who were unarmed and defenceless; 120 bullets could have been discharged before any reloads were required. You planned to have spare magazines available.
“Your attack would have led to the deaths of people of all ages, including children.”
Prosecutors said Saadaoui had moved to the North West in 2022 and made several unsuccessful attempts to purchase guns online before he met Farouk. He was also found to have posted Isis propaganda on numerous Facebook accounts and encouraged others to take up weapons “in the name of the Islamic State”.
In his communications with the undercover officer, Saadaoui shared his admiration for Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the leader in the 2015 Paris attacks. He also told Farouk of his desire to attack Jewish people, and covertly joined a Jewish Facebook page to follow events.
He also recruited Hussein, a fellow Isis sympathiser, to conduct reconnaissance and monitor the arrival of the weapons.
The two would-be terrorists believed that Farouk could import automatic firearms from abroad, and welcomed him into their deadly fold. He infiltrated the group, learning that the pair embraced the ideology of Isis and intended to carry out attacks in response to alleged atrocities conducted by Israeli troops since October 2023.
Saadaoui told Farouk he could independently obtain a firearm via Sweden, and indicated that he was looking to bring guns from Eastern Europe. Separately he had bought an air weapon and had visited a shooting range.
Saadaoui and Hussein travelled to Dover, Kent, in March 2024 to conduct hostile reconnaissance on how a weapon could be smuggled through the port without detection. A safe house was also secured in Bolton for storage of the weapons, while both men returned to Dover two months later, where they believed they were watching the firearms coming into the country.
Farouk also learnt that Saadaoui had discussed his plans with his younger brother, 36-year-old Bilel Saadaoui.
Walid Saadaoui was arrested by counterterrorism police in May 2024 after attempting to take possession of two assault rifles, a semi-automatic pistol, and almost 200 rounds of ammunition.
Following a trial at Preston Crown Court, he and Hussein were convicted of making preparations to commit a large-scale terrorist attack, while Bilel Saadaoui, of Hindley in Wigan, was found guilty of failing to disclose information about the terror plan. He was sentenced to six years in jail with an extended licence period of 12 months.
Mr Justice Wall commended the bravery of undercover operator Farouk. He told the court: “His is a dangerous and difficult job. He undertook it with great skill and patience. He has potentially saved many lives by putting his own life on the line. I am not allowed to know his true identity, but I hope the remarks I make are passed on to him.”
Frank Ferguson, head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a deeply disturbing plot inspired by extremist ideology. Had these terrorists succeeded, it would have led to mass murder and been one of the deadliest attacks on Jewish communities in this country.
“The investigation and prosecution deployed a highly trained witness who made sure their plot did not succeed and secured valuable evidence directly from the mouths of the terrorists. This laid bare their intention to destroy lives, their long-held attitudes and beliefs as well as their Isis credentials. We worked closely with counterterrorism officers to ensure the strongest possible case was built from the outset and presented in court to the jury, resulting in these convictions.
“Terrorism is an attack on the very fabric of our society. We will always use the law to protect communities from harm and relentlessly hold offenders to account, making sure they face the toughest legal consequences for their actions.”
