Muhammad Billal

Lancashire man jailed after trying to travel to Somalia to join ISIS

Muhammad Billal was sentenced to 13-and-a-half years.

A man who prepared for a terrorist attack in the UK before attempting to travel to Somalia to join ISIS has been jailed.

Counter Terrorism Policing North West said Muhammad Billal, 19, began planning an attack in the UK in February 2024, gathering terrorist publications and researching how to buy firearms and knives.

Investigators said he also looked into shooting ranges where he could practise using firearms and researched potential targets, including shopping centres, train stations, football stadiums and places of worship. Police said he had not identified a final target.

In October 2024, officers said Billal was encouraged by an online contact to abandon plans for an attack in the UK and instead travel to Somalia to join ISIS. By that stage, he had attempted to obtain a firearm but had not managed to acquire one.

He then researched how to enter Somalia and received travel guidance from online contacts before being stopped by Counter Terrorism Policing North West officers at Manchester Airport on 20 November 2024 as he attempted to board a flight.

Billal, from Nelson, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in London on Thursday 2 July to 13-and-a-half years. He will also serve an extended licence period of five years after his release.

Billal had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in preparation for acts of terrorism and four counts of possessing documents likely to be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Chadwick, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: “The offences Muhammad Billal has been convicted of are amongst the most serious charges that can be brought against an individual.

“Our investigation into his actions has been meticulous and we have been able to gather evidence which shows a firm intent to engage in acts of terrorism.

“Although he changed his focus from committing an act of terrorism in the UK to committing offences in another country, the level of detail he researched in preparation of an attack here shows the risk he presents to the public.

“That risk is reflected in the sentence passed today, and we welcome that outcome.”