British-Pakistani man charged with murder conspiracy in Netherlands

LONDON: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has charged a British-Pakistani man with conspiracy to murder a Netherlands-based Pakistani national, following an investigation by the Scotland Yard’s Counter-Terrorism Command Unit and the Dutch authorities.

The CPS has named the arrested person as Mohhamed Gohir Khan and the target as Ahmad Waqas Goraya, a social media activist.

Speaking to this correspondent, a source at the Scotland Yard said Mohhamed Gohir Khan is in high-security custody and will be produced at the Old Bailey on July 19.

The CPS confirmed that Mohhamed Gohir Khan (16-2-1990) of Sprowston Road, Forest Gate, East London, was charged on June 28 with conspiracy to murder, contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

The CPS said Gohir Khan has been charged for the murder conspiracy together with the “persons unknown”.

The accused appeared at the Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 29, where he was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on July 19, according to the police.

The police told this reporter that Khan has been charged with conspiracy to murder, not terrorism-related offences.

The CPS said: “The exact charge is that between the 16th day of February 2021 and the 24th day of June 2021 conspired together with persons unknown to murder Ahmad Waqas Goraya, contrary to Section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Sources shared with this reporter that Mohhamed Gohir Khan had travelled from London to Amesterdam, Netherland’s capital, in the 2nd week of February this year. Khan stayed there for three days, hired a car and visited the locality where Goraya lived.

It’s understood that the Dutch police knew about the plans of Khan and they had already moved the Pakistani national and his family out of his residence to a secure location.

Gohir Khan, according to the investigators, made several trips to Netherlands, but he was arrested in London on June 24, 2021 with relation to the murder conspiracy.

Alerted by the Dutch police, Scotland Yard’s detectives arrested Khan at King’s Cross St Pancras International station after arriving in London on a train originally departing from the Netherlands.

He was stopped under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act (TACT) 2000 and subsequently arrested on suspicion of failing to comply with a duty imposed under schedule 7, TACT 2000.

Mohhamed Gohir Khan was taken to police custody and was later released on police bail, pending inquiries. He was arrested again on June 25 on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and was charged with the offence of conspiring to assassinate.