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Saturday 11 April 2009

Radical Cleric Abu Hamza's Sons Arrested

Ah, the ever rising price of handing out British passports like tissues.

Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza, most famous for having a hook where his right hand should be, is perhaps one of Britain's most famous Jihadists. He's done it all - fought the Serbs, the Russians, trained in Afghanistan and Yemen, and whipped up hatred at Finsbury Park Mosque. Currently he is languishing in jail, whilst the Home Office looks at increasingly desperate attempts to declare his British citizenship invalid.

However, the problems aren't coming from him, but from his brood of children. It is not clear how many he actually has, but the grand total seems to be seven or eight.

He had one son, Mustafa Kamel, with an Englishwoman. This individual, dragged up around the Arab world after Hamza had been married long enough to obtain his passport, was arrested last year for his role in a burglary, and for some reason managed to escape a prison sentence.

He then married a Muslim woman and had another six or seven children, all brought up by the British taxpayer.

Two of his other sons were held after climbing into Finsbury Park Mosque over the back wall - just after Hamza had been banned from preaching there due to his extremism becoming public knowledge.

Then another son, 18, was arrested for violent disorder outside the Israeli embassy during January's Gaza demonstrations.

Now it has emerged that three of Hamza's sons, including the 18 year old mentioned above, have been arrested and charged as part of a £1 million fraud investigation - but it was funding cocaine-fuelled parties rather than terrorist operations.

Here are the full details courtesy of the Mail:

Three sons of the firebrand Islamic preacher Abu Hamza could face jail after yesterday admitting taking part in a £1million stolen car fraud.

Hamza Kamel, 22, Mohamed Mostafa, 27, and their 28-year-old step brother Mohssin Ghailam used the cash to fund a 'party lifestyle'.

One of the co-accused also admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

The trio and three friends selected expensive cars, including models by BMW and Mercedes, belonging to owners who they knew spent long periods away from home.

Once the gang, all from West London, established the owners were away they would write to the DVLA, posing as the car owner.

They would claim to have moved and request a new log book be sent to an address.

The DVLA would then write to the registered address saying that unless it received a reply within 21 days a new log book would be posted to the bogus address.

After receiving the new documents the gang used them to change the owner to an alias.

They then used the log book to obtain replacement keys from dealerships to get around the cars' security systems.

Some of the vehicles were sold on to unsuspecting buyers, sold abroad or used as collateral against loans taken out under false names.

The gang would default on the loan, keep the cash and the car would disappear, leaving the loan company out of pocket.

A source said: 'The total value of the scam, including the value of the cars and the loans, was about £1million.'

These guys were just using the money for themselves. Anti-terrorist police investigated the finances and there is no evidence at all this money was spent on terrorism. They just used the cash to party.'

Abu Hamza, 50, was jailed for six years in 2004 for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred. He faces extradition to the U.S. for allegedly setting up an Al Qaeda training camp.

Last year another of his seven sons, Yasser Mostafa Kamel, 18, narrowly escaped a prison term after admitting burglary. He has a previous caution for handling stolen goods.

Last month he was arrested over allegations of violent disorder outside the Israeli embassy in London during protests over the conflict in Gaza.

Judge Peter Testar at Southwark Crown Court warned the gang yesterday they could face jail.

'I am ordering these pre-sentence reports with no prejudice - that means no promises,' he said.

Hamza Kamel pleaded guilty to five counts of handling stolen goods during the scam which ran from January 1, 2007 until November 5, 2008. He also admitted laundering £14,975 in cash.

Mostafa pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud - he took out a £12,000 loan against a stolen BMW and also used a fake name in an attempt to obtain keys for another BMW.

Their half-brother Ghailam admitted one charge of conspiracy to defraud and to one count of fraud for taking out an £11,000 loan under a false name using a stolen BMW.

The three others in the gang - Abdul Chiadmi, 22, Hamza Mrimou, 27, and Khalid Jebari, 22, all Londoners, admitted playing a part in the scam.

Jebari also admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

The case comes seven months after the 27-year- old daughter of hate preacher Omar Bakri was revealed to be a pole dancer after rebelling against her fanatical father.

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