Terror suspect also wanted in Australia

By Cyrus Ombati

Runaway terror suspect earlier arrested at the Kenyan border is wanted in Australia for allegedly planning to attack an army base in Sydney.

Security sources said Wednesday Hussein Hashi Farah escaped a police dragnet in Australia that saw his four accomplices arrested for planning to attack Holsworthy Army Base and helping send people to Somalia to fight with al-Shabaab — a proscribed terrorist group.

The other four suspects arrested in the dawn raid on 19 properties across Melbourne were identified as Abdirahman Ahmed, 25, Nayef El Sayed, 25, Yacqub Khayre, 21, and Saney Edow Aweys, 26.

They were arrested last August 4, and have been charged with conspiring to plan a terrorist attack.

Kill soldiers

Prosecutors alleged Aweys, with four others, planned to arm themselves with guns and walk into the base in Sydney’s southwest and kill as many soldiers in a suicide attack.

Transcripts of Australian Federal Police telephone intercepts tendered to the court last year showed Aweys praising Allah for coming down on the "filthy people" of Australia through the Victorian bush fires, global financial crisis and drought.

Yesterday, security officials said Farah’s travel documents showed he had visited Kenya on November 25, and had landed in Ethiopia and connected to Kampala, from where he found his way into the country.

His name was put on the wanted list of terror suspects after Australian authorities alerted other security agencies in the region.

"It seems he has been coming here and later sneaked into Somalia," said a senior security official, who requested anonymity.

Farah escaped from police custody hours after he had been arrested and booked at the Busia Police Station two weeks ago.

Three officers who handled him have been interdicted and two prominent businessmen charged with aiding a suspect escape from lawful custody. The incident happened on March 13, hours after his arrest.

Farah had Sh258,400 in US dollars when Immigration officials arrested him. He was to be brought to Nairobi for further profiling.

Authorities believe Farah, who is on the list of prohibited immigrants, escaped back to Uganda.

He holds an Australian passport. Anti-terror detectives identified him as an operative of the Somalia-based al-Shabaab, and had been placed on an international watch list, but his mission in Kenya is not clear.

Investigation has since found that the suspect was given "special treatment" while in custody. Two anti-terror police units will soon be launched at Busia and Malaba border points.

Following the disappearance, the Australian Government has written to the Ministry of Immigration demanding to know his whereabouts.