Man found with bomb-making guides on phone is jailed

A man who admitted possessing bomb-making guides linked to an Islamic State-aligned organisation has been jailed for two and a half years.

Abdullah Bin Yasir, of Elmwood Crescent in Luton, was stopped at Gatwick Airport in June 2025 after returning from Pakistan, when police found extremist material on his iPhone.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of collection of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

During sentencing at the Central Criminal Court, Judge Anthony Leonard KC said a psychiatric report concluded that Yasir "suffered significant anxiety and depressive symptoms" which affected his decision-making.

He said the report author "considers that these disorders plausibly affected your thinking, decision making, and coping mechanisms which may explain your reliance on substance abuse and online content related to conflict", and that "your account emphasised curiosity and panic rather than an intention to act".

The judge remarks also said that some of the documents on Yasir's phone lacked information on which ingredients to use or where to source them.

The device also contained instructional attack videos and images of bomber drones.

In the months prior to his arrest, Yasir sent messages to others about knives, the risks of having certain content on his phone and a sent message that read: "I want to do an attack".

Detectives from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) had seized a laptop with a "substantial quantity of extremist Islamic material", much of which had been produced by Islamic State or affiliated organisations.

The judge agreed with the prosecution that this demonstrated "more than a passing interest" in extremism.

Judge Leonard concluded: "Even if you have now come to understand that what you were doing goes against your beliefs as a follower of Islam – and your family has assisted with that – it was not your position at the time that you collected the material."

He also considered Yasir's positive character references, his lack of maturity and isolation during the Covid lockdowns.

Assistant Chief Officer Hannah Wilkinson, of ERSOU, said: "This case highlights the serious risk posed by individuals who actively seek out and retain extremist material online.

"Through this investigation, officers recovered content that went beyond ideology, including detailed and practical instructions that could be used to carry out acts of serious harm."

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