Rochdale Labour councillor's home raided by anti-terror police after his 21-year-old son was arrested on Syrian border with his aunt, cousins and four children
Anti-terror police have raided the home of a Labour councillor whose 21-year-old son was arrested on the Syrian border with his aunt, cousins and four children. Shakil Ahmed's Rochdale home was searched by police last night and again this morning after his son Waheed and eight relatives - including four children - were detained in a remote Turkish border town.
Ahmed, a respected local politician, was not in as police raided the house in connection with his son's arrest, searching computers for any links to militants in Syria. The politics undergraduate is the son of local politician Shakil Ahmed.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said "We searched four addresses in Rochdale and Heywood last night in relation to the family detained in Turkey. Searches will continue this morning. Officers were looking for electronic devices to see if any occupants had been in touch with anyone in Syria."
Reporters were spat at and had their cameras shoved by some worshippers after Friday prayers at the Neeli Masjid Mosque in Rochdale, where the councillor's son attended. Mohammad Saqib, chairman of the mosque, said "It's a big-time shock. I have seen him here. The whole community is extremely disappointed with the news - we are truly shocked. We work ever so hard to educate young people of behaving in the correct manner."
"We do not condone what ISIS do and we always have and always will do everything we can to bring people up in the right way and educate them so they know what is right and wrong. We're all still in a phase of shock and I personally feel bitterly disappointed. I saw him here on a few occasions - it is extremely disappointing news."
Ahmed said "I don't believe my son was on his way to join Islamic State. I was shocked, worried and extremely upset to hear that my son has been arrested. It's a total mystery to me why he's there, as I was under the impression he was on a work placement in Birmingham."
"My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain. If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities." The councillor added "He's studying a degree in politics and sociology at Manchester University and has a good future ahead of him. I just want to speak to my son and get him home as soon as possible."
Labour Deputy Mayor Placed Under Investigation
A local authority's standards body has launched an emergency investigation into a newly appointed Labour Deputy Mayor – However, Labour are once again trying to cover-up the circumstances.
Following the lodging of a complaint, Rochdale Council has opened its investigation into Councillor Shakil Ahmed, however it is unclear if Ahmed will appear before a standards committee hearing or what penalties would be applied if the accusations against him turn out to be true – because, as of yet, the Labour Party refuses to provide any details about the complaint.
Ahmed has declined to respond and no other information has been given. Born in Kashmir and brought up in the UK, Shakil went to primary school in Coventry before moving to Rochdale in 1984, attending Broadfield High School.
In 2015, police searched the Labour Councillor's home after his son was arrested on the Turkish border with Syria as he allegedly attempted to illegally enter the war-torn country to join an Islamic terrorist group.
At the time, Ahmed said he was "shocked" and "extremely upset" when he was alerted that Turkish security forces arrested his son and four other Britons in Hatay Province. However, it then came to light that his sister and seven other relatives were also among the group arrested with his son, casting doubt over the Labour Councillor's claims of being unaware of his son's plans.
Mystery surrounds the current complaint against Councillor Ahmed, and there has been no suggestion of a connection with the 'ISIS incident' in 2014. According to a council representative, an inquiry is currently ongoing and will be handled by the council's standards process after the complaint has been evaluated. "No further comment will be provided until the investigation has concluded." the council spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The incident follows a similar pattern of recent investigations and scandals involving the Labour Party – with the Labour Party refusing to be transparent with the press or the general public about the majority of cases.