In a shocking turn of events, British officials have issued an all-ports alert today in their efforts to track down Daniel Abed Khalife, a 21-year-old former soldier awaiting trial on terrorism-related charges. Khalife made a daring escape from custody by hanging onto the bottom of a delivery vehicle, leading to heightened security measures across the nation.
The escape took place during Khalife’s time working in the kitchen at Wandsworth prison, where he was clad in a chef’s uniform consisting of a white t-shirt and red and white checkered trousers. The Metropolitan Police were alerted to his disappearance at approximately 7:50 am (0600 GMT) from the south London jail.
As a result of his escape, ports and airports across the country have been placed on high alert to prevent Khalife from leaving British soil. Although authorities believe he is likely still in the London area, they have not ruled out the possibility that he may have traveled outside the British capital.
Members of the public have been cautioned not to approach Khalife but to immediately contact the police if they have any information regarding his whereabouts.
Dominic Murphy, the head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, emphasized, “We have no information which indicates, nor any reason to believe that Khalife poses a threat to the wider public.”
Khalife had previously appeared in court on January 28 and was remanded in custody for two incidents at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Stafford, central England, located near the army barracks where he resided. These incidents involved attempting to obtain information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism in August 2021 and placing a bomb hoax device at the RAF base on January 2 of this year. His trial was scheduled to commence on November 13 at Woolwich Crown Court in south London.
The Prison Service is currently collaborating with the police in their efforts to recapture Khalife and is conducting an urgent investigation into how he managed to escape, according to a spokesperson. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is also set to speak with the governor of Wandsworth prison, a Category B facility, to assess the security breach.
Wandsworth prison has been home to several notable inmates in the past, including tennis superstar Boris Becker and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
This daring escape by Khalife brings to mind historic prison breakouts, such as Ronnie Biggs, one of the Great Train Robbers, who famously scaled the walls of Wandsworth prison using a rope ladder in 1965. Khalife’s escape has captured the attention of the nation and law enforcement agencies are working tirelessly to ensure his swift recapture.
