Neo-Nazi extremists guilty of planning terror attack on mosque
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Three neo-Nazis who stockpiled weapons including a 3D-printed assault rifle are facing “substantial” prison sentences after they were found guilty of plotting a terrorist attack on a mosque in Leeds.
Counter-terrorism police found an arsenal of more than 200 weapons that included crossbows, swords, machetes, axes, a baseball bat and numerous hunting knives, following raids on properties in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
An almost completed FGC-9 Mk II printed assault rifle was found in the loft of one of the suspects. It was missing the barrel and firing pin but the men were sourcing the components to complete the weapon.
The three men had a shared interest in bushcraft and YouTube “prepper” videos, claiming in court they were preparing for a “shit hits the fan” scenario such as a Russian invasion or a zombie apocalypse.
However, prosecutors said they were actually preparing for a race war and had used the prepper groups to recruit an inner circle which moved on to neo-Nazi chat groups before setting up their own private group, as they prepared to take action.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, head of Counter-Terrorism Policing North East, said the “self-styled militant online group” espoused “vile racist views” and took “real world steps to plan and prepare for carrying out an attack on innocent citizens”.
Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter-Terrorism Division, said that the 3D-printed firearm “could have been used to devastating consequences” if it had been completed.
Content retrieved from: https://news.sky.com/story/neo-nazi-extremists-guilty-of-planning-terror-attack-on-mosque-13367777.
