Al-Qaida suspect extradited to the US

Abid Naseer, 26, was arrested in mid-2010 on suspicion of being a member of a UK-based al-Qaida cell, which was plotting attacks in the US and the UK, including Manchester.

Metropolitan Police officers yesterday escorted Naseer from Belmarsh Prison to Luton Airport where he was taken into custody by US authorities.

He was one of 12 men arrested in the North East by officers from the Met’s Extradition Unit and the North East Counter Terrorism Unit following a warrant issued at the request of the US government.

US prosecutors want Naseer to stand trial for a bomb plot, feeding intelligence to al-Qaida and acting as an agent for the organisation, founded by Osama bin Laden.

The Pakistani national was allegedly involved with the UK terror cell between September 2008 and April 2009 and planned to attack a target in Manchester city centre, most likely in St Ann’s Square or the Arndale shopping centre.

US evidence suggested al-Qaida attacks in the US, England and Norway were being planned while communications about weddings, marriage, girlfriends, computers and weather were codes that referred to attacks and bomb ingredients.

Naseer, who originally came to the UK on a student visa, appealed to the European Court of Human Rights but the Strasbourg court threw out his case in December.

A Home Office spokesman confirmed the extradition, adding: “His case is now a matter for the US authorities.”

The move comes after radical cleric Abu Hamza and four other suspects were extradited to the US to face terror charges. Hamza has been in a British jail since 2004 on separate charges of inciting racial hatred and encouraging followers to kill non-Muslims.