A former soldier, Daniel Abed Khalife, who had escaped from a London prison while awaiting trial on terrorism charges, was apprehended by police on Saturday. Khalife had been on the run for four days before a large-scale search operation led to his capture in Chiswick, west of London.
His escape had occurred by hiding underneath a food delivery truck departing from Wandsworth Prison on Wednesday. This incident sparked a wave of criticism, with political opponents accusing the ruling Conservative party of incompetence.
Khalife, aged 21, is facing charges related to planting fake bombs at a military base and violating Britain’s Official Secrets Act by collecting information “that could be useful to an enemy.” He had been discharged from the British army after his arrest earlier this year and had denied all allegations. His trial is scheduled for November.
In the pursuit of Khalife, London’s counter-terror police had offered a £20,000 ($25,000) reward for information leading to his arrest.