Glasgow Airport: Police manhunt delays as terror suspect Daniel Khalife escapes prison

A national security alert has caused delays and disruption today at Glasgow Airport. Police are hunting for a terror suspect and former soldier who has escaped from Wandsworth Prison while awaiting trial.

Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, of Beaconside, Stafford, was reported to police after escaping from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday morning (September 6).

Huge queues have built up throughout Glasgow Airport with reports some members of the public are no longer being allowed into the building due to it being ‘at capacity’. A tannoy announcement has told frustrated passengers the delays are being caused by a ‘national incident’.

Passengers who have already missed their flights were told to collect their baggage from the reclaim area, which for many people has yet to appear.

One person at the incident tweeted a statement around the baggage, to which airline Loganair replied: “In light of all airlines being affected by the recent security situation, please allow additional time to retrieve your luggage. If you have any other issues, please get in touch with our handling agents, who will advise further.”

Travellers have reported that police and border force officers are checking identification of passengers who have already gone through security.

Alert issued by Counter Terrorism Command

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police to the Manchester Evening News this afternoon says: “An alert was issued by the Counter Terrorism Command earlier today in relation to Khalife through established operational briefing channels to relevant UK police and law enforcements agencies, including those at UK ports and borders.”

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We have a team of officers who are making extensive and urgent enquiries in order to locate and detain Khalife as quickly as possible. However, the public can help us as well and should anyone see Khalife, or have any information as to where he might be, then please call 999 or the immediately.

“I also want to reassure the public that we have no information which indicates, nor any reason to believe that Khalife poses a threat to the wider public, but our advice if you do see him is not to approach him and call 999 straight away.”

Police checks are being made at airports and ports across the UK with delays reported at airports including Glasgow, Manchester and Gatwick.

Daniel Khalife

The Met Police says detectives believe he escaped from the prison at approximately 7.50am where he was awaiting trial. Khalife was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, red and white chequered trousers and brown steel toe cap boots. He is of slim build, has short brown hair and is around 6ft 2ins tall.

Khalife was charged on January 27 with the following offences:

• On August 2 2021 at Beaconside, Stafford, Staffordshire, elicited or attempted to elicit information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000.
• On or before January 2 at Beaconside, Stafford, Staffordshire, placed an article with the intention of inducing in another a belief that the said article was likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property, contrary to section 51 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Khalife appeared the Old Bailey on July 21, where additional details were added to his indictment:

• On dates between May 1 2019 and January 6 2022 Daniel Khalife obtained, collected, recorded, published or communicated to any other person, articles, notes, documents or information which were calculated to be or might be or were intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy, contrary to section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911.

He pleaded not guilty to all three offences and Khalife was further remanded in custody and is next due to appear at Woolwich Crown Court on November 13.