2007 Bomb Plot In Copenhagen
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On September 4, 2007, two men who were planning a terror attack were arrested along several others by
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
police officers and Security Intelligence Service agents in several coordinated actions throughout the
Greater Copenhagen The urban area of Copenhagen (also known as Greater Copenhagen) ( da, Storkøbenhavn or ), lying mostly in the Capital Region of Denmark but also in Region Zealand, consist of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg municipalities and the former Copenhagen ...
area. The two men were later convicted and sentenced to twelve and seven years in prison, respectively. In Danish, it became known as the "terror case from Glasvej" (''Terrorsagen fra Glasvej'') after the road where the convicted ringleader had his apartment, which had been under surveillance for an extended period of time before the arrests. It is unknown if the target of the planned bombing was in Denmark or abroad. Police, accompanied by bomb experts, initially arrested 11 men and searched their homes. Most were released after questioning, but two were charged and later convicted. The prosecutors described the two as
militant The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Latin " ...
islamists with direct connections to
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
.


Arrestees

The two men against whom charges were pressed were Hammad Khürshid, a 21-year-old man of Pakistani ethnicity, and Abdoulghani Tokhi, a man of Afghan origin aged between 18 and 20. Six others were released after questioning.


Investigation

The suspects had been under surveillance for an extended period of time and the arrests were the result of a months-long investigation. After the arrests it was announced that Matas, Denmark largest
drug store A pharmacy (also called "drugstore" in American English or "community pharmacy" or "chemist" in Commonwealth English, or rarely, apothecary) is a retail shop which provides pharmaceutical drugs, among other products. At the pharmacy, a pharmacis ...
chain, is co-operating with domestic Security Intelligence Service to keep tabs on the sale of substances that can be used to make bombs for terrorist attacks. Sales of more than two containers of the substances on a list compiled to any one customer is registered by the shop's employees on a special form. The information is then passed on to the police. Matas has instituted the new rules at all its 292 shops across the country.


Charges

The suspects were arraigned on charges of planning a terrorist attack and accused of storing unstable explosives, possibly TATP.


Trial

The Danish court in
Glostrup Glostrup is a Danish town in Region Hovedstaden, forming one of the western suburbs of Copenhagen. It is the administrative seat of Glostrup Municipality, with an estimated population of 22,357 . During the 20th century Glostrup developed from ...
convicted Khürshid and Tokhi of attempted terrorism and sentenced them to twelve and seven years in prison, respectively, in October 2008. Khürshid was considered the ringleader, resulting in his higher sentence. The court said during sentencing that Tokhi, who only had a Danish residence permit (Khürshid is a Danish citizen), would be expelled after serving his sentence. During the trial, prosecutors said Khürshid had links to
Al Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
. During searches of his home in Denmark, police found a handwritten bomb-making manual written by Khürshid while at the pro-Taliban
Lal Masjid Lal Masjid or Red Mosque may refer to: * Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Pettah, Sri Lanka *Lal Masjid, Islamabad, Pakistan **Siege of Lal Masjid The siege of Lal Masjid ( ur, , code-named Operation Sunrise) was a confrontation in July 2007 between ...
, the so-called Red Mosque in
Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
during the winter and spring of 2007. Khürshid admitted he later went to the Taliban-controlled Waziristan region, but denies receiving any military training there. Khürshid and Tokhi pleaded innocent saying that the explosives were to be used for fireworks. It was not clear whether Khürshid and Tokhi were preparing an attack in Denmark or abroad. On Friday June 26, 2009, the
Østre Landsret The Østre Landsret (the Eastern High Court) is one of Denmark's two High Courts, along with the Vestre Landsret (Western High Court). Both High Courts function as a civil and criminal appellate court for cases from the subordinate courts and furth ...
upheld the convictions of both Khürshid and Tohki.


Deportation

As Tokhi was an Afghan citizen, he was deported home to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
after serving his sentence. Tokhi commentedf from Kabul that "the prison in Denmark was luxury comparing to being here alone".


See also

* Glostrup Terrorists Case * Vollsmose terrorists * Mohamad Al-Khaled Samha * German Terror Plot 9/07


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Copenhagen 2007 crimes in Denmark Islamic terrorism in Denmark Failed terrorist attempts in Denmark 2007 in Copenhagen Crime in Copenhagen September 2007 events in Europe Events in Copenhagen Terrorist incidents in Europe in 2007 Terrorist incidents in Denmark in the 2000s