The Metropolitan Police are investigating a reported sighting of escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife near Wandsworth roundabout. A witness observed him on Wednesday morning, walking away from the food delivery van he used to escape from HMP Wandsworth.
The Metropolitan Police is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading directly to Khalife’s arrest. The 21-year-old is facing charges of attempting to spy for an enemy state, believed to be Iran, and plotting a fake bomb hoax.
The delivery van had stopped near the south entrance to the roundabout, at the top of Trinity Road, when a member of the public reported seeing Khalife crawling out from underneath it. According to the police statement, “The man was then seen walking towards Wandsworth town centre.”
This sighting is one of several “key lines” of inquiry being followed by the Met. Cdr Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, emphasized the significance of this sighting, as the investigation remains fast-paced and dynamic. He urged Khalife to turn himself in, reassuring the public that officers are working diligently to locate him.
Efforts are primarily focused on London, but the investigation may expand to other parts of the UK. The Met has also launched its UK Image Appeal website, allowing the public to submit relevant images and videos.
Khalife is described as slim, 6ft 2in (1.9m), with short brown hair. While authorities believe he does not pose a threat to the public, they advise against approaching him and instead recommend calling 999.
Khalife, who joined the British Army in 2019, is believed to have clung to the underside of a delivery lorry to escape from HMP Wandsworth, still wearing his prison-issue cook’s uniform.
A significant search operation involving approximately 150 Met Counter Terrorism Command officers has been ongoing since Khalife’s disappearance.
On Thursday night into Friday morning, a search was conducted in Richmond Park, south-west London, situated just 2.8 miles (4.6km) from the prison.
