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Not a threat, huh?

Brit probe gave shul fiend pass

By LARRY CELONA, GABRIELLE FONROUGE and LEE BROWN gfonrouge@nypost.com

The armed terrorist who took four people hostage at a Texas synagogue had been investigated by British intelligence services but determined not to be a terroristic threat, according to a report Tuesday.

Malik Faisal Akram was probed by MI5 “in the second half of 2020,” after they received a tip he could be a possible Islamist terrorist threat, government sources told The Guardian newspaper.

The probe was “closed shortly afterwards” after investigators concluded “there was no indication he presented a terrorist threat at that time,” The Telegraph, another UK newspaper, reported, citing another government source.

Although Akram, 44, was put on a “Subjects of Interests” list, the spy agency concluded that he did not “pass the threshold” for a full-blown investigation, The Telegraph said.

“There were no grounds for further examination and no basis to prevent him traveling,” a source told The Telegraph.

On Saturday, Akram walked into Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, about 26 miles northwest of Dallas, and took three congregants and a rabbi hostage for 11 hours before he was killed by police.

The British national had been suffering from mental-health issues and made demands to the FBI to immediately release Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who was convicted on terrorism charges in 2010.

Akram apparently chose the synagogue because it looked to be the closest gathering of Jewish people to the federal prison where Siddiqui is serving an 86-year sentence for trying to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan, The Washington Post reported.

Law-enforcement sources revealed Tuesday that shortly after Akram arrived in New York on Dec. 29, he purchased a cellphone with a New York area code and made a number of calls to an individual who also had a New York number.

Investigators probing the incident have identified that person and told The Washington Post it doesn’t appear they had anything to do with Akram’s plan.

Akram also had used the phone to make calls to his family in the UK to ask for money and tell them he was headed to Texas to get married, lawenforcement sources told The Post.

Two days after Akram arrived in New York, he boarded a flight to Texas and, while in the Dallas area, stayed at the OurCalling homeless shelter, a spokesperson for the Colleyville Police Department told The Washington Post.

It wasn’t clear how long he was at the shelter, but Wayne Walker, the CEO and pastor of OurCalling, said Akram arrived at there Jan. 2 and was seen hugging the man who dropped him off.

“He was dropped off by somebody that looked like he had a relationship with him,” said Walker, adding photos and videos of the man have been turned over to the FBI.

The gun that Akram used to take the hostages was a pistol bought on the street in Texas that had been reported stolen, law-enforcement sources said.

During Akram’s 11-hour standoff with police, his family was called to help with negotiations and his two teenage children were detained for questioning, law-enforcement officials told The Washington Post.

British investigators detained the kids to try to get a clearer picture of Akram’s actions and motives, but it wasn’t immediately clear what they were able to provide.

On Sunday, Greater Manchester Police said two teens were taken into custody for questioning in connection with the incident and on Tuesday, the kids were released without being charged, The Washington Post reported.

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2022-01-19T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-19T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://nypost.pressreader.com/article/281749862725991

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