Phone of terror suspect arrested near Downing Street with bag of knives found in River Thames
Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali is believed to have thrown his phone into the Thames before planning alleged attack
A MOBILE phone of the terror suspect who was arrested near Downing Street with a bag full of kitchen knives has been found by police divers.
Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali is believed to have launched his phone into the Thames before heading to Whitehall where he is suspected to have been planning an attack.
Police are now examining the smartphone to see whether the 27-year-old had links to other terrorist suspects or groups.
A source told the Mail On Sunday that the device was recovered in the days after the arrest on Thursday last week.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “We can confirm officers from the Marine Policing Unit searched an area of the Thames in connection with this investigation.”
It is thought the police were able to find the mobile by using CCTV footage to trace the suspected terrorist’s movements in the moments before he was caught.
Although cops may have seen him discard the phone as Ali was already under police surveillance after being tipped off by his family.
Somali-born Ali, from Edmonton, North London, was being questioned this weekend by detectives who have until Thursday to charge or let him go.
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Armed police swooped on Ali near the gates of No 10 as part of an “ongoing operation” by the counterterrorism unit of the police.
He was found with a rucksack of kitchen knives but no one was injured.
Ali was arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.