Two Muslim twin brothers, who raised cash for terror training in Somalia via their religious stall, have been jailed for three years each.
Mohammed Shabir Ali, 25, (pic.top) and Mohammed Shafik Ali, 25, (pic.bottom) of Bohn Road, Whitechapel admitted the offence and will also be subject to a ten-year Notification Order under the Counter Terrorism Act when released.
They raised cash through a 'Dawa' religious stall, which they sent to their older brother in Somalia, knowing it would fund terrorism.
The Old Bailey heard the brothers were originally arrested in June 2011 and later released without charge.
However, Counter Terrorism Command detectives were able to continue examining various items seized in a search of their family home at the time of their arrest.
This included a copy of terrorist publication '44 Ways to Support Jihad' by the radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, which the brothers admitted they had studied.
Detectives also found an MP3 player, which contained a recording that the twin brothers had made of a conversation with their older brother Mohammed Shamim.
Shamim had travelled with two others from the UK to Nairobi via Dubai and then travelled onwards to Somalia in 2008 in response to a call for foreign fighters by Al Shabaab.
In the conversation, recorded in a telephone kiosk, the three brothers discussed how the twins would raise money and send it to Somalia.
Their brother tells the twins that if they are struggling for money, £300 to £400 should be enough.
They are also heard discussing the whereabouts of a sum of £1,065, which the twins gave to Shabaaz Hussain to transfer out to Somalia.
Shabaaz Hussain was arrested at the same time as the twins in June 2011 as part of the same police investigation.
He was jailed for five years and three months in March after admitting seven counts of fundraising for terrorist purposes.
In the telephone recording, the twins also ask their brother Shamim about his life in Somalia.
Shamim tells them: “So basically they're calling for - they need Muhajiroun..they need more Muhajiroun.”
Shamim talks about being able to buy guns in the shop and tells his brothers that he sometimes sleeps with his gun, adding: “They make us polish it. They make us do all sorts of training. Training is very hard my brother.”
He later adds: “…Allah has chosen people to come here and he chose me and I'm very grateful to be here and it's a privilege to be here….”
The court heard that detectives also recovered a mobile phone from Bohn Road, which showed the twins had contacted their brother Shamim in Somalia.
Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, Senior National Coordinator Counter Terrorism, said: “These two men were actively engaged in raising money in London to fund terrorist activity in Somalia.
“This is a serious terrorist offence because it is the support and fundraising network that allows terrorism to survive.
“We hope that today's conviction sends a clear message to anyone involved in this type of activity that they can expect to be bought before the courts.”
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