Australian police charge Indian doctor
Mohammed Haneef is charged with supporting a terrorist group which attempted to bomb Glasgow airport
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Saturday, 14, Jul 2007 12:12
Australian police have charged a 27-year-old Indian doctor over alleged links to last month's UK bomb attempts.
Mohammed Haneef, who was originally trained in the UK before going to work in Australia, is charged with "providing support to a terrorist organisation".
According to the Australian federal police, the maximum penalty for the charge is 15 years in prison.
Dr Haneef has been remanded in custody and is due to appear in Brisbane magistrates court later today.
The 27-year-old was detained by the Australian authorities at Brisbane airport on July 2nd as he attempted to leave the country for India.
He is one of eight people currently detained in connection with the failed bomb attempts on the UK on June 29th and June 30th.
Police discovered two cars containing petrol, gas cylinders and nails in central London on June 29th. The following day a vehicle was driven into the main entrance of terminal one at Glasgow international airport, also containing gas cylinders.
In a news conference held today by Australian federal police commissioner Mick Keelty, it was revealed that the charge was the result of 12 days of "intense investigation".
Mr Keelty said: "To give you some idea of the difficulties encountered in this matter, we have had nearly 300 police and lawyers across Australia involved in the investigation.
"The inquiries involved, and will continue to involve, something in the order of the equivalent of 36,000 four drawer filing cabinets. That is the quantity of material that's been seized in electronic form from various locations."