It has been announced that a "cyberterrorism" who was imprisoned after hiding his support for the so-called Islamic State in cufflinks designed in the style of James Bond has been denied parole.
An online jihadi who's been jailed for operating a "one-stop shop" for terrorists from his bedroom in Cardiff has been denied parole because of the way he was running his website.
A stash of extremist material was kept on a memory stick in the home of Samata Ullah, including in the form of cufflinks designed in the manner of James Bond. As well as giving advice on how to keep their data hidden and how to avoid law enforcement agencies online, he also gave counsel to others who share the same interests.
The prosecution of Ullah at the Old Bailey, the trial court in London, resulted in his imprisonment in 2017, where he admitted five terror crimes, including membership in the so-called Islamic State, or IS, and the training and preparation for the commission of terror acts.
The sentence that was given to him was an extended 13-year term, consisting of eight years behind bars, followed by five years on a restricted licence.
He was described by a senior counter-terrorism police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity as a "very dangerous individual" who had an extensive cyber library of materials and manuals that had been used by terrorists in many countries around the world.
Earlier this year, a panel of the Parole Board declined to release the defendant after a hearing in which a request for freedom on his behalf was heard. This appeal has only now appeared before the Parole Board.
A parole board hearing panel denied Ullah's request to be released from prison in September 2022 after a hearing before the board.
Deputy Public Information Officer at the Parole Board said that when considering the release of a prisoner, the Parole Board focuses only on what risk the prisoner may pose to the community, and whether or not those risks can be managed within the community after the prisoner is released.
An independent panel will carefully examine a wide range of evidence, including details about the original crime, evidence of any changes in behaviour, and explore what harm has been caused and what impact the crime has had on the victims as well as explore the impact the crime has made on the loved ones of the victim. Before the oral hearing, the members of the committee read hundreds of pages of evidence and reports and digest them as much as they can.
In the form of a hearing, witnesses, such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials overseeing the offender's activities in prison, as well as personal statements from victims may be offered as evidence.
During the hearing of the case, which often lasts a full day or more, it is usual for both the prisoner and the witness to be questioned extensively.
The process of reviewing a candidate's parole is meticulous and is conducted with utmost care and attention. To ensure the public's safety, the parole committee places the safety of the public first.
It should be noted that he will be eligible to receive a further review under current legislation shortly.
At the time, Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command SO15, remarked at the time that this was the first time an organization of this magnitude had been reviewed. The date of the next review will be determined by the Ministry of Justice.
Brian Altman QC, representing the prosecution, emphasized to the court the significant threat posed by the defendant, describing him as a new and highly dangerous form of terrorist - a cyber-terrorist. The British counter-terrorism police were able to track down the defendant after receiving information from the FBI, who in turn obtained it from authorities in Kenya.
This information was crucial in apprehending another individual involved in these activities.
It was revealed in court that Ullah, who had been diagnosed with autism, was in constant communication with the aforementioned individual through encrypted Telegram chats.
In these conversations, he expressed his willingness to utilize his specialized skills to aid the IS campaign. Ullah assured his contact that he would eagerly embrace any advice and knowledge provided, to contribute to the Caliphate.
Starting from December 2015, Ullah began sharing instructional videos on how to safeguard sensitive data and maintain anonymity online using the Tor program and PGP encryption. To avoid detection, he even altered his voice in these videos and wore gloves to conceal his skin tone.
Additionally, it was discovered that Ullah had developed a website dedicated to computer hacking and stored a significant amount of extremist material, including documents and videos, on electronic devices in his Cardiff residence.
Law enforcement officials seized a staggering 150 devices and meticulously analyzed eight terabytes of data - equivalent to 2.2 million copies of the ebook "War And Peace."
Further examination of Ullah's activities revealed that he had hijacked 30 inactive Twitter handles and possessed 50 email addresses and nine phone numbers.
Ullah also confessed to researching ZeroNet and creating a version of his blog website using this decentralized, peer-to-peer network.
Furthermore, Ullah pleaded guilty to possessing a book titled "Guided Missiles Fundamentals AFM 52-31" and an electronic PDF version of "Advances In Missile Guidance, Control And Estimation," both of which were intended for terrorist purposes. It was disclosed that Ullah lived alone near his mother and sister, residing just around the corner from them in Cardiff.
