A man who spent time behind bars with escaped terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife has called him a "huge menace to society".
police are continuing to hunt for a former soldier accused of terrorism, as a senior Government minister admitted there were questions to answer about the
prison escape. Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, went missing in his cook’s uniform from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday, prompting extra security checks at major transport hubs. Kent Police confirmed junctions eight and nine of the M20 were temporarily shut on Thursday due to the enhanced security checks – and to allow freight heading for mainland Europe to queue on the empty section of the motorway. There are fears the fugitive – who has been missing since 8am on Wednesday – might try to flee the country. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a former inmate of the prison who knew Khalife told The Express : "He’s always denied the allegations and just wanted out, but the guy's lost the plot. He was initially a quiet character but then overly confident and quite arrogant. Khalife is delusional and actually a huge menace to society. I hope they find him quickly and preserve public order and security." Khalife, who was awaiting trial after allegedly planting a fake
bomb at an RAF base and gathering information that might be useful to terrorists or enemies of the UK, was discharged from the Army in May 2023. He has denied the three charges against him. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, red and white chequered trousers and brown, steel toe-cap boots, the Metropolitan Police said, and is slim and 6ft 2in, with short brown hair. The jail was put on lockdown after he fled. The head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, Commander Dominic Murphy, has said there is “no reason to believe Khalife poses a threat to the wider public” but has urged people not to approach him and to call 999 if they spot him. Khalife was held at Belmarsh prison but later transferred to Wandsworth, according to reports. He has links to north-west
England and Kingston in
London but Mr Murphy said the hunt is covering the whole of the UK. Khalife was previously stationed at the Ministry of Defence’s Beacon Barracks in Stafford. The barracks are home to the Royal Corps of Signals 1st Signal Brigade, the Defence Electronics Agency, the RAF Joint Helicopter Command’s Tactical Supply Wing and No 22 Group air force cadets. According to the Telegraph, he described his role on
Social Media as being a computer specialist with skills including information technology and system administration. The 21-year-old appeared at the Old Bailey in late July where he denied the charges. He is accused of eliciting or trying to elicit information that could be useful for a terrorist on August 2, 2021, and breaching the Official Secrets Act by gathering information that could be useful to an enemy between May 1, 2019, and January 6 2022. The ex-serviceman is also accused of a criminal offence relating to the alleged bomb hoax. It is claimed that he placed “three canisters with wires on a desk in his accommodation” with the intention of inducing in another a belief this was “likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property”. A trial date has been set for November 13 at Woolwich Crown Court. Major
UK airports across the country have ramped up their security in response to the escaped suspect. People waiting for flights at Manchester Airport and Glasgow Airport have faced long queues with police checking everyone’s ID after they have gone through the security hall on Wednesday afternoon.