Three men were sentenced to a combined 69 years after being convicted of plotting an attack on the Jewish community in Greater Manchester. Walid Saadaoui received a minimum of 37 years and Amar Hussain 26 years; Bilel Saadaoui received six years plus community service. The plot involved contact with an undercover operative, believed plans to import automatic firearms via the Port of Dover, and reconnaissance in Salford. Authorities called the disruption one of the most significant counterterrorism successes in recent years.
Three Jailed Over Plot To Attack Jewish Community In Greater Manchester — 69 Years Combined
A British court sentenced Walid Saadaoui (L), Amar Hussain (top-R) and Bilel Saadaoui on Friday for a terror plot targeting Jewish people. Photo courtesy Greater Manchester Police
A Preston Crown Court judge on Friday handed down a combined 69-year prison term to three men convicted of planning an attack on the Jewish community in Greater Manchester.
Sentences: Walid Saadaoui, 38, of Abram, received a minimum term of 37 years; Amar Hussain, 52, was given a minimum of 26 years; and Bilel Saadaoui, 37, of Hindley, was jailed for six years plus an additional year of community service. Bilel is Walid's younger brother.
"Today's sentencing brings a conclusion to one of the most significant terrorist plot disruptions we have seen in the U.K. for several years," said Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who leads counterterrorism policing in the northwest.
Potts described the plan as "an evil act born out of hate and intolerance," warning that a successful attack would have been devastating and potentially among the deadliest on U.K. soil. He identified Walid Saadaoui as the ringleader and said he recruited Hussain to join the plot.
Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussain were convicted in December of offences under the Terrorism Act 2006 for conspiring to commit a terrorist attack. Bilel Saadaoui was convicted of failing to disclose information about a terrorist act.
Prosecutors told the court that in late 2023 Walid made online contact with someone he believed shared his views and exchanged frequent messages about carrying out a "significant terrorist attack targeting Jewish people." That contact was an undercover operative identified in court papers as "Farouk." Walid later introduced Farouk to Hussain; the pair believed Farouk could supply automatic firearms from an overseas source.
The defendants carried out reconnaissance in Upper Broughton in Salford and at the Port of Dover, the entry point they expected would be used to import the weapons. Evidence presented at trial also showed Walid discussed the plan with his brother Bilel; Walid initially denied the conversation but later admitted it during cross-examination.
Police said the disruption of the plot represented a major counterterrorism success in the region, preventing what authorities warned could have been a catastrophic attack.
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