Bungling cops let ISIS ‘fan’ head to Syria ‘so he could meet women he met on Match.com’
He was allowed to board the plane at London Gatwick despite appearing 'very nervous'... and the web site not offering services in the country he was going to
A TERROR suspect accused of trying to fight for ISIS in Syria jetted to Turkey after persuading British cops he was meeting dates from Match.com.
The defendant, from east London, was about to board a flight heading to Ataturk Airport from London Gatwick when he was stopped by police officers.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was quizzed for ten minutes under the terrorism act and convinced the authorities he was making the journey to meet women from Match.com.
He said he had booked and paid for a hotel for a five-night stay in the Turkish capital.
However, just three days later he was detained at the Syrian border by Turkish officials and later flown back to the UK.
Last week at Westminster Magistrates court the man refused to leave the cells, citing his "religious beliefs".
Specialist prosecutor Kathryn Selby, from the Counter Terrorism Division, said in a case summary document: "When questioned he informed the officer that Istanbul was his final destination and that he was travelling there to meet women that he had met through the website 'Match.com'.
"Match.com confirmed that the account, which was in his name, was opened on December 28th, 2014, and the account was last visited that day.
"He did not pay a subscription fee so he would not have been able to contact anybody directly.
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"Match.com has also confirmed that they do not offer their services in Turkey.
"After questioning was concluded, he was allowed to board the flight."
They allowed him to do this, despite one of the officers admitting the man was "very nervous, there was little or no eye contact throughout and the majority of his answers were mumbled and very limited in detail".
He then made the journey to Turkey, before staying only one night at the hotel, and then boarded a one-way flight to Gaziantep airport.
He even sent a Whatsapp message to his sister telling her he was not going to come home.
But Turkish authorities detained him at the Turkish-Syrian Oncupinar Border Crossing, and he was put on a plane back to the UK, five days after he left.
He was arrested on his arrival back in the UK at Heathrow Airport on January 16th this year.
After his refusal to leave the cells, Ms Selby asked the court if the hearing could take place without him.
She said: "Given that this was an attempt to travel to Syria, the crown submits that the powers of this court are not sufficient and the case should be ascended to the crown court."
He was refused bail and will next appear at the Central Criminal Court on October 28th.