Legal News

A man convicted of terrorism and immigration charges has been sentence to six years in jail.

Abdurraouf Eshati, aged 29, from Wrexham pleaded guilty to his part in a conspiracy to send 1,100 tonnes of ammunition to Libya via Italy. There is currently a UN arms embargo on Libya, which Eshati and his co-conspirators would have been breaching.

Eshati was one of 20 people found in the back of a lorry, after it was stopped and searched in Dover by police.

He was challenged and searched after he was seen by an officer to be acting suspiciously and using his phone while the lorry was being processed.

Following a search of his phone, two documents were found which led to his arrest – and a charge for possessing a collection of information likely to be of use to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.

Police found an invoice for $28 million (£18.6m) of ammunition on Eshati’s mobile phone.

Police also discovered a number of false documents, which had been provided by Eshati to an immigration tribunal in 2012. As a result, he was subsequently charged with immigration offences.

As well as pleading guilty to terrorism charges, Eshati also admitted lying in his bid to claim asylum.

He had said that his father was a high-ranking colonel working for Colonel Gaddaffi, who was in jail. He also claimed that he had a brother who was dead. Both statements proved to be untrue. Eshati had lived in the UK since 2009, while his brother was still alive and his father was in living in Tunisia.

The Old Bailey sentenced him to six years in jail.

After sentencing, a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said:

"The very fact that Eshati pleaded guilty to these offences on the first day of his trial is a testament to the strength of the case and evidence brought against him.

“Images found on his phone included an invoice for a massive amount of ammunition worth $28.5 million – and the hiring of a cargo plane to be used in Libya.

“The information that was contained within those documents found on Eshati's phone were considered likely to have supported and been useful to an individual preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
“Such was the scale of his activity, the court was told his arrest and the finding of these documents has led to Italian authorities discovering large scale illegal arms supplies being imported from eastern Europe to conflict zones in Libya and other places.”

Duncan Lewis Terrorism Solicitors

Duncan Lewis terrorism solicitors can advise at any stage of a charge for terrorism, including conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, preparing for acts of terrorism, helping or encouraging others commit acts of terrorism, fundraising for terrorism, or belonging to a proscribed organisation.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and a criminal defence solicitor can usually reach a police station within an hour to advise on terrorism offences.

For expert legal advice on terrorism offences at any stage of an investigation or charge, call Duncan Lewis terrorism solicitors on 0333 772 0409.

For 24/7 help at a police station, call the Duncan Lewis 24-Hour Crime Emergency Number 0333 772 0607.