Indian-origin man found guilty of drive-by shooting murder in UK
London (PTI): An Indian-origin man is one of two men convicted of the murder of a father-of-four in a drive-by shooting in the West Midlands region of England nearly two years ago, UK police said following a court ruling.
West Midlands Police said Gurdeep Sandhu and Hassan Tasleem were connected to the killing of Mohammed Haroon Zeb in Dudley in January 2021 after their officers scoured thousands of hours of CCTV, forensics, social media and phone records.
The 39-year-old was shot in the head as the culmination of a feud between two families and Sandhu and Tasleem, both 25, were convicted of murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and perverting the course of justice earlier this week following a trial at Loughborough Crown Court.
"This was a carefully planned killing, and children have lost their father forever. Nothing can ever take away that pain," said Detective Superintendent Jim Munro of West Midlands Police, who led the murder investigation.
"We can only hope these convictions will take some dangerous men off the streets and the ongoing police work will bring an end to such violence. We're grateful to the Dudley community who supported us during this investigation," he said.
The victim, a taxi firm manager known locally as Haroon, was shot as he pulled up outside his home on January 31, 2021, and he died in hospital from his injuries later that day.
The police believe the fatal blow came from a lethal revolver, which was one of a number of shots fired by a passenger of a vehicle, which then drove off. The murder weapon is yet to be recovered.
The police force said its detectives carried out "extensive enquiries" in the pursuit of justice and evidence was that the gun was in the hands of Tasleem while Sandhu was the driver of the car and involved in the plot.
The vehicle was on false plates and went off the radar until it was later recovered in Telford.
"The killing was part of an ongoing feud between families dating back to at least 2018, including men being mown down by cars and a man stabbed to death. A man was jailed over that murder in 2019," the police statement said.
"Zeb was not believed to have been actively involved in the feud, but a follower of what was going on, and the reason he was specifically targeted remains unknown," it added.
A third man, 21-year-old Shamraz Ali, was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice. All three convicted men have been remanded into custody and will be sentenced at a later date.
Following the convictions this week, Zeb's family said: "For nearly two years, we as a family have struggled to accept the loss of our Haroon. We thank the police for their tireless work." PTI AK
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
