UK man jailed for sending rifle parts to Pakistan in support of terror activity

London: A 41-year-old man from east London who sent hi-tech rifle parts to Pakistan in support of terrorist activity by the Taliban in Afghanistan has been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by a UK court on Tuesday.

Muhammad Choudhary had previously pleaded guilty to terrorism funding and fundraising offences following a joint investigation by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command.

He was sentenced at the Old Bailey court in London to a total of seven years’ imprisonment, with an additional year to be served on an extended licence under strict conditions.

Met Police detectives and investigators identified that Choudhary sent thermal imaging night vision rifle scopes to Pakistan on a number of occasions in 2017 and 2018. He later admitted they were intended for use by the Taliban, which, at the time, launched various attacks against the then-government and coalition forces in Afghanistan.

“This case is a prime example of how terrorist activity can take many different forms, and shows that we will investigate anyone in the UK who supports terrorist activity, regardless of what it may be in support of or to where it may be linked,” said Gareth Rees, Acting Commander of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

“This was a unique case where government colleagues identified potential terrorist-related activity and shared information with us. Further enquiries conducted by Counter Terrorism Command officers led to Choudhary being convicted and jailed for various terrorism offences,” he said.

Choudhary first came to the attention of HMRC after a seizure of rifle scopes at Heathrow Airport in January 2018. It was identified that Choudhary was the person behind the consignment, which was intended for an address in Pakistan.

Mike Pass, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “The UK operates a strict licensing regime to uphold international sanctions and to ensure military equipment does not fall into the wrong hands.

“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure effective controls and enforcement on military goods, which contributes to the UK’s national security.”

The initial investigation revealed that Choudhary bought the sniper sights from legitimate hunting suppliers. He was interviewed under caution by HMRC investigators and he later admitted in interview that the recipient and end users were members of the Taliban. The information was then passed to the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and officers launched a further investigation, which resulted in Choudhary being charged with various terrorism offences in September 2023.

At an Old Bailey hearing in January, he pleaded guilty to a charge of fundraising for the purposes of terrorism contrary to Section 15 of the UK Terrorism Act 2000, and two charges of making funding arrangements for the purposes of terrorism contrary to Section 17 of the same act.

Choudhary was also previously charged with 23 offences under the UK's Customs and Excise Management Act (1979). He pleaded not guilty to these offences at a hearing in February, and it was subsequently agreed by the British authorities for these offences to lay on file.