An ongoing hunt by counter-terror police for an escaped prisoner, Daniel Abed Khalife, who fled Wandsworth prison, caused chaos at Heathrow, Gatwick and many other airports across the United Kingdom (UK) on Wednesday.
Counter-terror police are hunting for Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, a British Army soldier who escaped from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday morning at 7.50 am, where he was awaiting trial for terror offences.
According to local media reports, passengers travelling out of London airports are facing long delays and security queues due to the ‘national incident’, with similar scenes at Manchester and Glasgow airports.
Travellers across the UK have reported that their IDs are being checked after already having gone through security.
A Gatwick Airport spokesperson told MyLondon: “Additional security measures are currently in place at London Gatwick and other UK airports and ports. We apologise for any delays passengers may experience. The safety and security of passengers is our number one priority.”
Reports say Khalife, who was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, red and white chequered trousers and brown steel-toe cap boots, was on remand at the HMP when he escaped.
Metropolitan Police describe him as being of slim build, with short brown hair and being around 6ft 2ins tall.
He is believed to have links to the Kingston area and may most likely be in the London area at this time, although he might have travelled further afield and potentially out of the country.
The public is advised not to approach Khalife but to call 999 immediately, quoting reference CAD 1631/06SEP23 if he’s seen anywhere.
