UK - Hunt for terror suspect ex-soldier Daniel Khalife after Wandsworth prison escape, Sept 2023 *Arrested*

[JennieM]

Drone seen at Channel Tunnel​

The BBC has been told that a drone, assisted by police search teams, was deployed around the Channel Tunnel facility in Kent yesterday afternoon.

Drones are regularly used to track migrants at sea - and there's been no official confirmation that operation definitely related to Khalife.

But, at the same time, it could have been a complement to the enhanced lorry checks at the border.

Accounts of searches don't tell us for sure where Khalife is hiding - but they indicate the scale of the resources that Scotland Yard and its partners are prepared to throw at capturing Britain's most wanted man.

Rowley won't confirm if notebooks found in Khalife's cell​

Here's a bit more from Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who spoke to LBC earlier.

He refused to confirm whether notebooks were found in Daniel Khalife's cell in Wandsworth prison after he escaped on Wednesday.

During the phone interview, he also said he couldn't comment on how the straps Khalife used to attach himself to the underside of the delivery van were made.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66749354

 

[JennieM]

‘Prisoner access to kitchen knives mind-boggling’​

Barrister and former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Lord Carlisle, says the prisoner escape is a “catastrophic incident and causes great concern at many levels”.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said it is good that the government is conducting an independent review, and “it causes concern on why the perpetrator was in that prison, whether he escaped solo or if there were state actors - possibly Iran”.

“Wandsworth prison was 31% short in man power and particularly bad at weekends… the evidence I’ve seen shows the government did nothing to address that problem.”
Lord Carlisle explained, “the idea that someone was judged for spying for Iran and terrorism offences was able to work in a Category B prison in the kitchen with access to knives is mind-boggling”.

Reviewing how Daniel Khalife planned his escape, Carlisle added, “One of the possibilities for escape is a hostage situation and knives play into that kind of situation”.
“[There will] have to be an audit of the prison, and more general issues about the management of the prisoner.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66749354

 

[bobbymkii]

I know this guy is accused of terrible crimes, but I really can't help but marvel at the ingenuity in planning and execution of this prison escape.

All these resources being used to find him and the relevant authorities have absolutely no idea where he is!

 

[Luwin]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66749354

1. Terror suspect Daniel's Khalife's escape from Wandsworth prison was "clearly pre-planned" and is "extremely concerning", Met chief Mark Rowley says
2. Rowley says "it is a question" whether prison staff or inmates helped the ex-soldier flee on Wednesday morning
3. Police have been searching nearby Richmond Park in south-west London, as the hunt to find Khalife enters its third day
4. The 21-year-old is accused of trying to gather information for a hostile state. The BBC understands that state is Iran
5. A government report into why Khalife was placed in a category B prison - rather than high security category A - is due by the end of the week

 

[RichardKimble]

So how do they know the guy strapped himself to the underside off the lorry, was he seen? The straps, were they provided to him, if so how was it known they'd be fit for the purpose? of course he had help if not he's an absolute genius to have figured it out by himself.

 

[Luwin]

So how do they know the guy strapped himself to the underside off the lorry, was he seen? The straps, were they provided to him, if so how was it known they'd be fit for the purpose? of course he had help if not he's an absolute genius to have figured it out by himself.

Wonder if there is cctv? I always assumed prisoners would be under constant surveillance.

 

[dotr]

Scary eyes, soft face, does he have a disguise tucked away, like a burqa, oddly i could imagine him going for a Justin Bieber type appearance, complete speculation, fwiw.imo

All we know about Daniel Khalife - Royal Signals soldier on the run from prison

Military computer engineer at large after escaping Wandsworth prison by clinging to food delivery van

www.independent.co.uk

''Prior to his arrest in January, the 21-year-old had formerly been a serving soldier in the British Army since 2018 and had worked as a computer network engineer with the Royal Corps of Signals.''

''The Royal Signals have been deployed in every Army operation since the corps’ establishment in 1920, and are described by the Ministry of Defence as “leaders in IT, Cyber and Telecommunications, providing battle-winning communications to every part of the Army”.

Those in the Royal Signals “are trained to become experts in engineering and operating systems, networks and cyber equipment”, the Army website adds.''

''Khalife served as part of the 22nd Signal Regiment, The Independent understands, and would have had access to state-of-the-art defence electrical equipment.''

“I also want to reassure the public that we have no information which indicates, nor any reason to believe that Khalife poses a threat to the wider public, but our advice if you do see him is not to approach him and call 999 straight away.”

 

[Skigh]

Police offers £20,000 to catch Britain's most wanted - Daniel Khalife

The Met is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Daniel Abed Khalife, as detectives investigate a sighting of him near Wandsworth Roundabout.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The first suspected sighting of Britain's most wanted man has been made, after a newsagent claimed he may have seen escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife jump into a getaway car.

Fears that the former British Army soldier's escape from HMP Wandsworth was an inside job have grown today, with Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitting it was a theory detectives were looking at.

It came explosive experts were called after a 'suspicious vehicle' was stopped by police at the Channel Tunnel, where increased checks have been made following the jailbreak. The incident is not thought to be linked to Khalife's escape, however.

As police explore the possibility that the 21-year-old was aided by prison staff, reports of him having help on the outside too began to gather pace.

A shop assistant reported seeing 'a tall, lanky dude with dark hair', who he later recognised as Khalife from media images, enter a black coloured vehicle outside Wandsworth Country Court.

This is roughly a two-mile, 10-minute drive west of the Victorian jail, where he escaped by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery lorry after leaving the prison kitchen in a cook's uniform

 

[dotr]

 

[martinwatts5]

Police offers £20,000 to catch Britain's most wanted - Daniel Khalife

The Met is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Daniel Abed Khalife, as detectives investigate a sighting of him near Wandsworth Roundabout.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The first suspected sighting of Britain's most wanted man has been made, after a newsagent claimed he may have seen escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife jump into a getaway car.

Fears that the former British Army soldier's escape from HMP Wandsworth was an inside job have grown today, with Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitting it was a theory detectives were looking at.

It came explosive experts were called after a 'suspicious vehicle' was stopped by police at the Channel Tunnel, where increased checks have been made following the jailbreak. The incident is not thought to be linked to Khalife's escape, however.

As police explore the possibility that the 21-year-old was aided by prison staff, reports of him having help on the outside too began to gather pace.

A shop assistant reported seeing 'a tall, lanky dude with dark hair', who he later recognised as Khalife from media images, enter a black coloured vehicle outside Wandsworth Country Court.

This is roughly a two-mile, 10-minute drive west of the Victorian jail, where he escaped by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery lorry after leaving the prison kitchen in a cook's uniform

If this sighting is correct it would confirm my theory of a getaway car but I’m surprised at the distance of 2 miles from the prison which would make the getaway more complicated.

 

[QB2022]

I really don't think he's in the country. He's had too much help.

I'm not sure how a 48 hour delayed sighting is much help!

 

[JennieM]

Police confirm sighting of Britain's most wanted man Daniel Khalife crawling out from under van after prison breakout as detectives issue pictures of kitchen uniform the 'Iranian spy' was wearing and offer £20,000 reward​

Police offers £20,000 to catch Britain's most wanted - Daniel Khalife

The Met is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Daniel Abed Khalife, as detectives investigate a sighting of him near Wandsworth Roundabout.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

What we know so far about the manhunt​

Here's the latest on the police search for escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife:

• The Met police is investigating a sighting of terror suspect Daniel Khalife who escaped from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery van
• Khalife was reportedly seen walking away from the BidFood van near the Wandsworth roundabout, at the top of Trinity Road in south-west London, police say
• Police are offering £20,000 for information leading to the 21-year-old's arrest
• Khalife is accused of trying to spy for an enemy state, understood to be Iran, and plotting a fake bomb hoax
• The sighting is one of several "key lines" of enquiry, the Met says
• Met Commander Dominic Murphy said the force had received 100 calls from the public and the latest sighting "could be very significant"

• London's Mayor Sadiq Khan has pointed to a lack of investment and poor staffing at Wandsworth prison, which may have contributed to conditions that could have allowed Khalife to escape
• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said police are working "night and day" to recapture the prisoner

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66749354

 

[JennieM]

Images of chef's uniform worn by Khalife released​

The Met have released a number of images showing the chef's uniform Daniel Khalife would have been wearing as he escaped from the kitchens of Wandsworth prison on Wednesday.


Inmates are given white T-shirts


Accompanied by red and white check trousers...



...and brown steel toe cap boots


Here's the full ensemble

Photos copyright Met Police

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66749354

 

[martinwatts5]

The roundabout is about a mile into the route. This sighting seems to fit in with the first one as Khalife is said to have been heading into Wandsworth.

 

[ohthesharkbabe]

I seldom comment, but I'm struggling to understand why a 21 year old lad with two allegations and no convictions who was held in a category B prison is now Britain's most wanted man. Am I missing something?

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

I wonder if he took a kitchen knife with him? To cut the straps or to take a hostage if he got caught. If not, perhaps he did have someone on the outside.

 

[Pinkizzy]

You can view CCTV on https://www.tfljamcams.net , I don't know whether there are images available from Wednesday

 

[Luwin]

Daniel Khalife: Police mistake Banbury kitchen porter for escaped prisoner

A 19-year-old from Banbury was handcuffed after being mistaken for terror suspect Daniel Khalife.

www.bbc.co.uk

A kitchen porter who police mistook for escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife said the experience was "nerve-wracking".
Horatio Castille from Banbury in Oxfordshire says he was handcuffed by officers after they received a possible sighting of Mr Khalife, who is on the run after escaping from Wandsworth prison.
A video of 19-year-old Mr Castille's arrest was viewed thousands of times.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the man was not Daniel Khalife.

 

[JennieM]

Daniel Khalife’s route out of Wandsworth prison in maps and graphics​

[…]

Searches for Mr Khalife are focusing on London. Checks have been increased at ports across the UK amid fears he could try to leave the country.

All car boots will be examined over the weekend at exit points such as the Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover. Passengers are warned to expect delays.

The Met is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that directly leads to Mr Khalife's arrest.

Daniel Khalife’s route out of Wandsworth prison in maps and graphics

As the search for missing Daniel Khalife continues, these maps show the early part of his route out of HMP Wandsworth.

www.bbc.co.uk