Terror suspect Daniel Khalife – an ex-soldier who snuck out of a London prison by strapping himself to the bottom of a van while dressed as a chef — has been captured, authorities said.
Khalife, 21, was pulled off a bike by a plain-clothes officer and apprehended just before 11 a.m. local time, or 6 a.m. in New York, in the Chiswick area of West London, police said, according to The Guardian.
His arrest came about 75 hours after he went missing from the prison, said Commander Dominic Murphy, the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism chief.
“That’s pretty quick given the challenge of trying to find this individual,” Murphy said.
Khalife was “fully cooperated and handcuffed and arrested,” police said, and his capture came after multiple calls from the public reporting various sightings of him.
Terror suspect Daniel Khalife, a former soldier who escaped jail pretending to be a chef, was nabbed by Metropolitan police in London Saturday — ending a four-day manhunt.
Khalife is accused of planting three fake canister bombs at a military base and leaking sensitive information to Iran. Metropolitan Police/AFP via Getty Images
The chef’s outfit Daniel Khalife wore to escape custody, according to authorities. Metropolitan PoliceKhalife had been working a morning shift in the jail’s kitchens before the escape Wednesday and was wearing a cook’s uniform of a white T-shirt and red checkered trousers, police said.
He was able to escape by lashing himself with straps to the bottom of a departing food delivery van, according to authorities.
The manhunt quickly alerted Britain’s ports and airports, including London Heathrow — Britain’s busiest airport — where travelers faced delays because of additional security checks over fears Khalife would try to flee.
Khalife has been accused of planting three fake canister bombs at a military base and leaking sensitive information to Iran.
The soldier was booted from the military in May following his arrest. Khalife has denied any wrongdoing. His trial is set for November.
The Wandsworth prison that Khalife was able to escape from. REUTERS
Khalife was able to strap himself to the bottom of a departing food delivery van. Metropolitan Police
Khalife was caught in the Chiswick area of West London.
Following his escape, UK Justice Secretary Alex Chalk announced independent investigations into how the incident occurred, why he was being held in a low-security prison, and whether other high-risk inmates need to be moved from the jail.
The placement of all inmates at HMP Wandsworth and those charged with terrorism offenses would be reviewed, he added.
“No stone must be left unturned in getting to the bottom of what happened,” Chalk said. “Who was on duty that morning? In what roles, ranging from the kitchen to the prison gate? What protocols were in place? Were they followed?”
