Suspected Terrorist Breaks Out of Wandsworth Prison
Former soldier Daniel Abed Khalife was on remand awaiting trial
21-year-old Daniel Abed Khalife. Picture: Met Police
September 7, 2023
A man due to face charges relating to terrorism offences has broken out of Wandsworth Prison.
21-year-old Daniel Abed Khalife was serving in the British Army in 2021 when it is alleged he left a dummy device at a military base in Stafford and tried to obtain personal information about soldiers from a computer system which was "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
He was due to face trial this November and was on remand but managed to escape from Wandsworth at around 7.50am on Wednesday 6 September.
It is believed he broke out by putting on a chef's uniform in the prison kitchen and then clinging to the underside of a delivery van.
He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, red and white chequered trousers and brown steel toe cap boots. He is of slim build, has short brown hair and is around 6ft 2ins tall.
Khalife has links to the Kingston area and police believe he most likely remains in the London area at this time, although he may have travelled further afield. Officers are keen to hear from anyone with information that might assist with locating Khalife - even if it doesn’t relate to a live sighting.
Ports and airports have been placed on alert and some passengers facing delays as extra checks were carried out. Questions are being asked about why he was placed at Wandsworth, a category B prison, as opposed to a high security unit like Belmarsh where of those suspected of terrorism offences are held while on remand.
If seen, the public are advised not to approach Khalife and to call 999 immediately, quoting reference CAD 1631/06SEP23.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said, “We have a team of officers who are making extensive and urgent enquiries in order to locate and detain Khalife as quickly as possible. However, the public can help us as well and should anyone see Khalife, or have any information as to where he might be, then please call 999 or the immediately.
“I also want to reassure the public that we have no information which indicates, nor any reason to believe that Khalife poses a threat to the wider public, but our advice if you do see him is not to approach him and call 999 straight away.”
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has had a telephone call with the prison governor and senior staff in the prison service to seek assurances about security at the jail.
A Prison Service spokesman said, “We are working with the Metropolitan Police to recapture this prisoner and are urgently investigating how he escaped.”
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