Pakistani terror suspects were cleared to work as security guards
December 13th, 2009 - 5:57 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Dec 13 (IANS) Ten Pakistani students, whose arrest on terror charges caused a row between Pakistan and Britain this year, had been cleared to work as security guards in Britain, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The arrests of the men in April on suspicion of plotting to blow up a shopping centre and a nightclub in the city of Manchester caused a diplomatic spat, prompting Britain to release them days after Prime Minister Brown warned of “a very big terrorist plot”.
But the Sunday Times said 10 of those arrested, who were never charged for lack of evidence, had been granted permission by the British home ministry to work as security guards in Britain.
In the months before the alleged plot, the men were given licences to work as security guards by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), a home ministry body that regulates the private security industry.
Unlike British applicants, foreigners do not need to have their applications counter-signed by a British referee, the paper said, adding, officials privately admit they do not even attempt to make checks on applicants’ address histories in Pakistan.
At the time of their arrest, two of the men were working for a cargo firm which had access to secure areas of Manchester airport.
Chris Grayling, the opposition Conservative Party’s shadow home secretary, said, “The fact that security checks on overseas nationals seeking clearance for the security industry are much more lax than for British people just beggars belief. This is clearly a huge hole in our security system.”
- Brit authorities allowed Manchester terror suspects to work as security guards - Dec 13, 2009
- US, UK in crisis talks over man smuggling 80 guns on flights from US - Jan 25, 2011
- 'Arrested Pakistani students nowhere near a college' - Apr 12, 2009
- British immigration officials pass Pak visas in just 11 minutes - Jul 04, 2009
- British police fear many Pak extremists posing as students may have entered the UK - Nov 28, 2009
- 27 Indians held in Britain for illegal stay, work - Sep 28, 2011
- British police arrest terror suspects near n-plant - May 04, 2011
- Nine Pakistanis released without charge, to face deportation - Apr 22, 2009
- UK peer tells lawmakers that significant terror plot foiled by 12 arrests - Dec 22, 2010
- Three arrested over plot to blackmail Coleen Rooney - Feb 22, 2011
- British police arrest sixth man over suspected terror plot - Sep 18, 2010
- Suspended home ministry official gets bail - Jul 21, 2011
- Britons held in Kenya are private detectives - Sep 27, 2011
- A factory for fake visas in Bangladesh - Sep 23, 2011
- London calm, violence grips other British cities (Second Lead) - Aug 10, 2011
Tags: beggars belief, british people, city of manchester, conservative party, foreigners, home ministry, lack of evidence, manchester airport, overseas nationals, pakistani students, private security industry, security checks, security guards, security system, shadow home secretary, shopping centre, spat, terror charges, terror suspects, terrorist plot
