A manhunt involving 150 officers from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command is underway for 21-year-old former soldier, Daniel Abed Khalife, who managed to escape from Wandsworth prison. The daring escape took place on Wednesday when Khalife strapped himself underneath a delivery van to flee.
Commander Dominic Murphy is leading the operation and has made a public plea for information regarding Khalife’s whereabouts. “Since yesterday, over 150 officers and staff have been working around the clock on apprehending Khalife,” stated Murphy.
Khalife’s escape was discovered at 07:50hrs on September 6, with the Met quickly initiating efforts to locate him. At 08:37, police officers intercepted the van used by Khalife near Upper Richmond Road, where they found him hiding underneath it.
Police have traced the route of the van, appealing to anyone who might have witnessed it during its journey. The route took the van from HMP Wandsworth through various London areas, including the Kingston region, where Khalife has known connections.
While Khalife is not assessed to pose an immediate threat to the public, authorities urge individuals not to approach him and to call 999 immediately if he is spotted.
Daniel Khalife, standing at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and dressed in a chef’s outfit, including a white T-shirt, red and white chequered trousers, and brown steel toe cap boots, was incarcerated pending trial for charges related to terrorism and the Official Secrets Act.
His alleged offenses include attempting to obtain information useful for terrorism, making a bomb hoax, and obtaining information that might be useful to an enemy state, which has been reported as Iran by the BBC.
Justice Minister Alex Chalk assured Parliament that “Daniel Khalife will be found and he will be made to face justice.” He emphasized that no effort would be spared in resolving the situation.
