Luton: Bomb-making and explosives guides found on mobile phone

Saleem was convicted of three counts of terrorism offences at the Old Bailey on Tuesday

A man has been convicted of terrorism offences after extremist material was found on his mobile phone.

Mohammed Adnan Saleem, 22, of Montrose Avenue, Luton, had saved several banned documents, including a bomb-making manual and a file on explosives.

He was found guilty on three counts - brought under the Terrorism Act 2000 - after a three-week trial at the Old Bailey in London.

Saleem will be sentenced at the same court on 28 April.

He was arrested in May 2020 during an investigation led by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).

Investigators seized two mobile phones, a laptop, digital storage devices and a games console, which were examined by digital forensics experts.

He was charged with eight counts of collecting or possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

'Dangerous mindset'

A jury found him guilty on three of the counts on Tuesday.

Hannah Wilkinson, head of ERSOU's Counter Terrorism Policing unit, said: "Throughout our inquiries it was clear that Saleem held a dangerous extremist mindset, downloading Islamist propaganda and speaking to others about his views on jihad.

"In addition, he sought to use encrypted communications tools to hide his activity, which demonstrates that he knew his actions were wrong.

"I would urge anyone who thinks a loved one has started to hold extremist views or is showing signs of radicalisation to act right away."

Bedfordshire Police Assistant Chief Constable, Sharn Basra, said: "There is no place in Bedfordshire for those who hold extremist views.

"We work closely with our partners through Prevent to help reduce the risk of people of all ages and backgrounds from being radicalised into holding extreme ideological views.

"Our communities are our eyes and ears for this, so if you think someone you know may be being radicalised, it's important you take action and speak out."