British police have arrested jihadist Aine Davis, one of the so-called Beatles of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. BBC. Davis, also known as Jihadi Paul, was detained at Luton airport.
Davis was from Turkey, where he had served a 7.5-year prison term for membership of a terrorist organization. According to the he is BBC suspected of, among other things, fundraising for a terrorist organization and possession of material for terrorist purposes.
Within IS, the ‘IS Beatles’ were a cell of four British jihadis who kidnapped at least 27 people from 15 countries in Syria between 2012 and 2015. The four got their nickname because of their English accent.
Some hostages were released after paying ransom. Others were tortured physically and/or psychologically on an almost daily basis and some were subsequently brutally murdered, for example by beheading. Images of this used by IS for propaganda purposes.
Jihadi John
Gang leader Mohammed Emwazi, nicknamed Jihadi John, was killed in a US drone strike in late 2015. Alexanda Amon Kotey, Jihadi Ringo, is serving a life sentence in the United States.
The fourth member, El Shafee Elsheikh of Jihadi George, was found guilty by a jury of a US court in April of, among other things, deadly hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit murder. He is expected to receive his sentence this month.
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