Kawsor Miah, 42 (01.08.81) of east London, made several posts on social media where he expressed his extreme Islamist mindset, and voiced his support for Daesh and acts of terrorist violence.
An anonymous online report to police by a member of the public about Miah’s posts led to an investigation by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, supported by colleagues in the specialist Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU).
Miah was subsequently arrested in March 2022.
At Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, 20 December, Miah was found guilty of one charge of encouraging terrorism, and six counts of showing support for a proscribed organisation following a trial at Kingston Crown Court.
On 21 December, he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, with an additional three years on licence.
Commander Dominic Murphy, of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Our investigation into Miah started as a result of an online report from a member of the public who knew that what Miah was posting online was wrong.
“That person was right to act and contact police. The investigation led to more evidence being gathered, and it was this evidence that resulted in his conviction and jailing.
“This is another example of how information from the public is vital to our efforts to tackle terrorism.”
The Met’s CTIRU – which is dedicated to identifying and seeking the removal of terrorist and extremist content on the internet – has had more than 322,000 pieces of harmful content taken down from internet webpages since 2015. Many of those pieces of content were referred into the unit by members of public who have acted on their instincts.
+ If you have seen material online which you are concerned could be terrorist or extremist, please report it at: www.gov.uk/report-terrorism. It can also be reported via the “iREPORTit” app.
Communities defeat terrorism, and information from the public is vital to our counter-terrorism investigations. If you see or hear something unusual or suspicious and think someone may be engaging in terrorist activity, trust your instincts and ACT by reporting it in confidence at www.gov.uk/ACT or call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.
