Man found with 3D-printed firearm manuals found guilty of terrorist crimes

A 32-year-old man was found guilty of various terrorism offenses following an investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, which found he had collected various instructions on how to create 3D printed firearms.

Acting Commander Gareth Rees of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “Mohamed used social media applications to send himself and store instructions on how to create a 3D printed weapon. He tried to hide what he was doing by using two anonymous accounts and storing documents on encrypted application servers, but that didn’t stop us from identifying what he was doing. The circulation of these types of documents on the Internet is extremely harmful and anyone who stores or shares this type of content can expect investigation and prosecution, as was the case with Mohamed.

“This investigation was also initiated as a result of the arrest of officers at the airport under Schedule 7. It demonstrates how valuable these powers are in helping us identify and investigate potential terrorist activity, and ultimately help ensure public safety.”

An investigation into Abdiwahid Abdulkadir Mohamed 32 (21/10/1991) from Neasden, north-west London, was launched after he was detained and interviewed by counter-terrorism officers at Heathrow Airport in September 2022. Mohamed was detained by officers with “schedule 7” powers at airport after returning to the UK from a trip to Kenya. During the arrest, the officers questioned Mohamed and checked the digital devices he had.

After his arrest, Mohamed was released on the road, but his devices were seized and sent for further examination by specialized forensic officers within the Counter Terrorism Command. Analysis of the devices led officers to determine that he was using two specific Telegram accounts.

Based on these accounts, detectives determined that Mohamed was a member of various extreme Islamist groups on the platform. Importantly, officers also found a number of documents that appeared to contain instructions on how to create and build 3D printed firearms. They determined that he had set up a private channel that could only be accessed through his account and that he had used it to send and then effectively store documents, without saving them directly on any of his own devices.

The files and instructions were reviewed by forensic experts who found that, if followed correctly, could result in the production of profitable weapons and firearms.

Mohamed was arrested at his home address in January 2023 and officers seized another mobile phone from him. This case was also investigated and officers found further evidence of his extremist attitudes and the fact that he was also looking for 3D printers on eBay.

On January 18, 2023, Mohamed was charged with six counts of possessing documents that may be useful in committing or preparing an act of terrorism (contrary to Article 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000).

Following a trial at Kingston Crown Court on October 8, he was found guilty of all six charges and is due to be sentenced at the same court on December 3.