Daniel Khalife

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So interesting. I'm in Kent and can't remember the last time I saw so many police cars/vans on the roads. Apparently armed police have been at some woods outside folkestone this evening, popular place for walkers but part owned by the MoD and contains structures used by the army for training, so maybe he's trained there in the past and knows the area. I can't see it though, he'd be mad to hang around, probably long gone.
 
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The indépendant suggests his father is Iranian;


"Khalif, a British citizen whose father is said to be Iranian, allegedly attempted to pass on the information to a foreign power, believed to be Iran, security sources told The Independent. They allege that he sought to “graduate” into spying with the material he had obtained from the MoD."


but BBC News says Lebanese heritage on his fathers side.


"He is British and has Lebanese heritage on his father's side. His parents split up when he was young."
Well, no wonder they're having difficulty tracking him down: he seems to be everything to everyone!

In all seriousness, it is odd that two separate news sources, who you imagine have fact checkers, have two such different backgrounds listed.
 
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From everything that’s been said about him by friends and ex-colleagues I’m getting fantasist/attention seeker vibes rather than espionage mastermind. It will be interesting to see what transpires, especially how he managed to escape from prison because given his job in the army and how little time he actually spent in, he absolutely would not have been trained in these elite escape and evasion skills the media keep alluding to. He completed basic training and his trade training (IT-related). He was the most junior rank in the army with a desk job.

Regardless of what’s happening he’s screwed himself. He’s either got a decent stretch in prison coming up, or living on the run constantly looking over his shoulder or living in hiding somewhere because he’ll always be a wanted man.
 
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I want to know how long it was before they even knew he had gone? The reports imply it was almost immediately but I am sure that is just PR spin. Also did he really strap himself to the underside of the lorry or was that a red herring?
 
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Well, no wonder they're having difficulty tracking him down: he seems to be everything to everyone!

In all seriousness, it is odd that two separate news sources, who you imagine have fact checkers, have two such different backgrounds listed.
This says his mum’s side is Iranian and Dad’s is Lebanese. That would likely make him more attractive to Iran tbf - no perceived loyalty to the UK perhaps


Non-paywalled version here
 
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Was looking for a thread on this when the story first broke! I think he’ll be long gone by now too especially with the Iranian association. Just seems odd to me how invested they seem in finding him I think there’s definitely more to it than they’re letting on.
 
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The way he escaped is still baffling. I recall watching clips of a border control show where they used mirrors on sticks to check under cars. Why don't prisons have them?
 
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I want to know how long it was before they even knew he had gone? The reports imply it was almost immediately but I am sure that is just PR spin. Also did he really strap himself to the underside of the lorry or was that a red herring?
I thought bbc initially said it was 20 minutes before they realised he had gone

The way he escaped is still baffling. I recall watching clips of a border control show where they used mirrors on sticks to check under cars. Why don't prisons have them?
The bbc article I read said they did use them in the supposed sterile area between the two entrance gates so either not done properly by someone slacking or not done by an assistant who knew the plan and pretended not to see him there
 
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I thought bbc initially said it was 20 minutes before they realised he had gone


The bbc article I read said they did use them in the supposed sterile area between the two entrance gates so either not done properly by someone slacking or not done by an assistant who knew the plan and pretended not to see him there
Yea I'd read vehicle was meant to be checked above and underneath before taken off but this had not been done - possibly due to staffing issues.


Also thanks for making this thread.
 
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Been listening to a few radio discussions on this. A number of ex prison officer accounts and inmate accounts of prison.

3 prisoners a week over the last 12 years have been 'accidentally'released from prison.

Experienced officers and social workers left or removed and young inexperienced officers installed (often with entirely different career backgrounds).

The equipment used for checking the underside of vehicles broken (cracked mirrors with no required lights attached) or not being checked at all.
 
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From everything that’s been said about him by friends and ex-colleagues I’m getting fantasist/attention seeker vibes rather than espionage mastermind. It will be interesting to see what transpires, especially how he managed to escape from prison because given his job in the army and how little time he actually spent in, he absolutely would not have been trained in these elite escape and evasion skills the media keep alluding to. He completed basic training and his trade training (IT-related). He was the most junior rank in the army with a desk job.

Regardless of what’s happening he’s screwed himself. He’s either got a decent stretch in prison coming up, or living on the run constantly looking over his shoulder or living in hiding somewhere because he’ll always be a wanted man.
Yes, he does seem quite young, on the news commentators were making out he’d have had years of training, etc. Anyway, I bet he’s had help because he happens to know something or belongs to a group. One commentator said he might hide in a safehouse for a few weeks before making a move.
 
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I want to know how long it was before they even knew he had gone? The reports imply it was almost immediately but I am sure that is just PR spin. Also did he really strap himself to the underside of the lorry or was that a red herring?
I heard it was an hour before they started looking.
 
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Catching up but the early questions about why all the interest, I heard that he was on remand for offences relating to the official secrets act too. The idea he is a spy, is I think a solid one. In which case he will be long gone. he will have been over the border and out of the country by lunchtime on Wednesday. no way is he hanging around in Kingston, less than ten miles down the road
 
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Catching up but the early questions about why all the interest, I heard that he was on remand for offences relating to the official secrets act too. The idea he is a spy, is I think a solid one. In which case he will be long gone. he will have been over the border and out of the country by lunchtime on Wednesday. no way is he hanging around in Kingston, less than ten miles down the road
I think if he really was selling information that was actually bought by Iran and he was an actual spy he would have been in a more secure prison and definitely not working as a chef. Unless they didn’t actually know the extent of it but from what we do know I’m leaning more towards he was a bit of a fantasist.

The Chiswick search is following confirmed sightings overnight.
 
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I heard it was an hour before they started looking.
Yeah about an hour sounds right, maybe a bit more even, as it was 20 mins before they realised he had gone and and another 25 mins before they informed the police!

I think if he really was selling information that was actually bought by Iran and he was an actual spy he would have been in a more secure prison and definitely not working as a chef. Unless they didn’t actually know the extent of it but from what we do know I’m leaning more towards he was a bit of a fantasist.

The Chiswick search is following confirmed sightings overnight.
I thought that too but apparently he was being held in Wandsworth awaiting trial, that's where the majority of terror suspects are held. After his trial, assuming he was found guilty and depending of what charges, he could have been moved to a more secure prison.
 
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"Police now believe Britain's most wanted man is in Chiswick wearing a black baseball cap, t-shirt and dark bottoms as their search moves to west London."

So he's changed clothes somehow at least if it is him.
 
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