Man went missing on family holiday and ended up in Syria wanting to be an ISIS terrorist sniper

It was 2014 and Shabazz Suleman was in Turkey on a family holiday but towards the end of the trip he went missing.

The 27-year old of Freemantle Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire was actually using the break as an opportunity to travel to Syria.

At that point Suleman joined the terrorist group Daesh, also known as Islamic State, and spoke about ‘committing Jihad’ while expressing a desire to be taught how to use weapons.

While in the country, he received training and acted as a guard for the IS organisation.

Police made the arrest when the terrorist group recruit landed at Heathrow Airport in September 2021 where they charged Suleman with preparing acts of terrorism, being a member of a proscribed organisation and receiving weapons training under Section 11 and Section 54 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Detective Chief Superintendent Olly Wright, Head of CTPSE, said: “This has been a complex investigation which has taken several years to piece together and bring to court, but it has ultimately ended in jail time for Suleman, who was planning acts of terrorism. 

“We work tirelessly with our colleagues across the Counter Terrorism Policing network and in partnership with other organisations to disrupt people who are planning to commit acts of terror and ultimately bring them before the courts.  

“We will do everything in our powers to stop these people inflicting harm on our communities in the South East no matter how long it takes, as this case shows.

“Friends and family are often best placed to spot the signs of potential  radicalisation, so please trust your instincts if you have any concerns, please report it.  

“We can help if you act early. You won’t be wasting police time and you won’t ruin lives, but you might save them.” 

After admitting to the offences, Suleman was given a life sentence of which he will spend a minimum of nine years and six months in prison.