Anjem Choudary was arrested this morning. There’s an account of it on the Express website here.
He and his helpers spend a fair bit of time in Tower Hamlets.
In May last year, I broke this story for the Sunday Express…that his groupies were running a chain of children’s sweet shops called Yummy Yummy in Whitechapel and Mile End.
When I visited them, the stores stocked on their sweet counters leaflets calling for an “Islamic Revolution”. Just the kind of thing you want with your bonbons.
The business brains behind the operation was Yazdani Choudary, Anjem’s elder brother. I wrote about him in the Sunday Express in 2011 when we revealed he’d been landing government contracts for IT training in Whitechapel Road. He was aged 48 then.
Yazdani had bought the lease on a three-storey block in New Road. The basement was used as a creche and discussion centre. The ground floor at that time was used as a printing and design shop called Master Printers. A graphic designer who had spent time in jail for raising funds for terrorism overseas worked there. I spent a bit of time watching them, including Anjem, come and go.
For the floors above, Yazdani had sought permission from Tower Hamlets council’s to convert them into Islamic teaching centre for Anjem called the Centre for Islamic Services. Adverts for CIS were even run in East End Life. Planning permission was refused.
That building was raided by the police a few months later. For a while, nothing more happened.
Master Printers then closed down, but some time later Yummy Yummy appeared in its place.
It has been quite a busy sweet shop by all accounts. I imagine it takes in a fair amount of cash.
Yazdani, now 51, has always refused to comment and there is nothing to suggest he is involved in Islamic extremism.
This morning, the police announced they’d arrested nine men on suspicion of being members of a banned organisation. They were aged between 22 and 51, according to police. We know Anjem was among them and it’s thought the organisation in question is Al Muhajiroun.
A total of 18 properties were raided, including 11 in east London.
I guessed the Yummy Yummy shops would be two of them, so I went to have a look.
The detectives declined to comment and none of Anjem’s groupies were there to talk to.
I promised the detectives I would pixelate their faces from the following pictures. I hope they enjoyed the jelly babies.
Detective taking notes from a resident outside the Yummy Yummy shop in New Road, Whitechapel (copyright Ted Jeory)
Yummy Yummy, Whitechapel (copyright Ted Jeory)
Detectives enter Yummy Yummy sweet shop in New Road (copyright Ted Jeory)
Unmarked police cars outside Yummy Yummy shop in Mile End Road (copyright Ted Jeory)
Slightly struggling to see what the story is here Ted. It feels like the sort of thing about which my English teacher would say “good story but it lacks an ending'”. Is there some more detail to come?
I also understood that Choudary was arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. Is that the link we are meant to see for ourselves, despite it not being made in the story?
Tim.
Full story on Express link I provided at the top, but yes, I plead guilty to Newsdeskism: presumed people would know the story. Apologies. Will update
Yum, yummy.
National news story about arrests in London of 9 individuals by the regional (i.e. London) anti-terrorist squad who also raided several addresses in London (and one up north). I wonder if there is any connection ?
Curious Cat.
Technical note:
Photographs taken this morning circa 09:48 hours on an Apple Iphone 5s. Editing on a Mac computer using Adobe Photoshop CS5.
Curious note:
Any statement from anyone remaining at the addresses connected with the organisation and/or persons ?
Common note:
Once again the London Borough of Tower Hamlets gains world-wide popularity (some may think for the wrong reasons).
CC.
The shop is Mile End has been closed for months.
Closed to the general public does not necessarily mean the premises have neither been frequented nor used during that period 🙂
CC.
Not so. It’s open right now
This article might explain the confusion:
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/east-end-sweet-shop-owner-shock-antiterror-police-storm-business-yummyyummy-anjem-choudary-9756818.html
It seems to say that Yummy Yummy was closed and the premises have re-opened with no connection to its past but it just happens to have been re-opened as a sweet shop.
V peculiar. And odd that that article fails to mention there’s a Yummy Yummy sign hanging above his doorway. Still, it’s touching that Anjem and his mates still eat at the restaurant.
Do you mean Stepney Green?
Yes. Mike End Rd
Mile!
Just driven passed and two police officers are standing guard outside New Road branch – don’t suppose they are queuing for Pick n Mix
I guess the obvious next question is “Have any of the addresses been used by organisations in receipt of grants from the Council?”
But I assume you’re one step ahead already on that one Ted.
I wonder if Takki would have the nerve to give you the runaround on that question?
More than £1million of Government funding was awarded to Best Training, run by Anjem Choudary’s brother Yazdani Choudary. It would be interesting to see how this money was spent.
What an excellent suggestion.
Who is going to ask and of whom ?
Curious Cat.
Interesting indeed!
So I wonder if anybody will point this out to PricewaterhouseCoopers before they finalise their report to Eric Pickles?
Maybe an extra paragraph on the level and quality of attention paid to due diligence might be in order?
To: Grave Maurice
If you think you have useful information then speak to the national number (at the Met) for anti-terrorist information – anywhere in the world
0800 – 789 321
Keeping things a secret helps to protects the bad guys and may consequently endanger the safety of the public.
CC.
???
I was referring to the contents of your ‘disappeared’ posting.
CC.
Am I alone in thinking that the silence is deafening in terms of the lack of comments from those who have been all too happy to voice their opinions earlier in the year?
I wonder why?
Is this the commenting equivalent of walking out of the Council Chamber when somebody asks an awkward question?
Rushanara Ali has resigned from the Labour front bench rather than vote to bomb ISIS genocidal subhumans in Iraq.
I didn’t know she was on the Labour front bench… What on earth did she do? Maybe she found the job challenging and was looking for a reason to quit…
Being a politician can mean having to make difficult decisions.
Especially being a Tower Hamlets Labour politician.
Being a caring, concerned and humanitarian Human Being means it is always quick and easy to distinguish evil from good,
Humanitarian Human Beings have no hesitation when choosing to attack the evil to defend and protect the ordinary men, women and children who are the victims of the enormously evil aggression and utter cruel murderous violence.
Simple really.
I thought Labour supported the ordinary people of this world against unfairness, injustice and brutality or is that only at elections when Labour want your vote ?
Curious Cat
Shadow education minister. Or was. She’s bright and capable and would have coped with a job like that better than most.
I never quite knew what to make of her, but the fact that the vote was 524-43 in favour of bombing, and she feels strongly enough the other way that she resigns over it, tells you quite a lot. I’m disappointed as I would have hoped for better of her.
Tim.
The BBC was suggesting that the explanation lies in local politics and the fate of Oona King and an earlier vote about an earlier Iraq War. Seems plausible to me.
Getting re-elected is more important than supporting the fight against real evil.
Another no guts politician puts self-interest ahead of morality.
CC.
From Anjem Choudary’s Twitter Account 5 mins ago:
“Alhamdulillah I’ve been released from police custody. Just in time for Cameron to declare war on Islam & Muslims in Iraq & Syria subhanallah”
Does the country really need, for the benefit to the community as a whole, distorting rabble rousers ? Attempting to create civil unrest by blatantly and deliberately distorting the truth qualifies him a candidate for a one-way aeroplane ticket to his original home country.
Decisive action against those who vehemently hate this country and actively encourage civil unrest is long overdue. Excessive tolerance is meek capitulation.
Curious Cat.
Looks like he might have just breached a condition of bail as BBC account of his release i.e.
“Speaking to the BBC, Mr Choudary said his bail restrictions included a ban on foreign travel and public preaching.”
Now somebody remind me – just how public is Twitter?
8-|
Duh! That was supposed to be the “rolling eyes” emoticon!
Was Anjem Choudary’s brother Yazdani ‘Dani’ Choudary arrested as well?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29386983
Don’t know who is the 51 year old they arrested..
Yes his bro was arrested but both bailed last night,just in time to nip down the barracks for a quick hate speech!!
Those who inspire others to violence obviously need to be dealt with. But Yummy Yummy at Stepney Green was a dam good sweet shop. The new management don’t have as extensive range as the previous owners. Are there any other retailers of traditional English sweets in the area?