It was discovered today that the Liverpool suicide attacker, who authorities suspect converted to Christianity for asylum, was living in his mosque at the time of his attack.
Emad Al Swealmeen, who was baptised and confirmed at the city’s Anglican cathedral in 2017, was seen worshipping with Muslims during Ramadan and praying with a friend in the week before Sunday’s attack, it is alleged in media reports.
The revelation will further fuel suspicion that his conversion to Christianity four years ago was just an act to persuade the Home Office to grant him British citizenship and prevent them deporting him because of his new-found faith.
According to immigration sources, Al Swealmeen made multiple appeals and used a false identity to try to remove himself from the UK.
Al Swealmeen (32), is believed to have planned an attack over seven months. He began purchasing components for his suicide vest in April after renting Rutland Avenue flat, which he later turned into a bomb factory.
Investigators are said to have admitted that the device would have caused ‘damage, death and destruction’ on a massive scale, but they ‘go lucky’ when the unstable device’s detonator went off and killed him as he was ‘jostled’ when the taxi pulled up at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
The police have yet to discover evidence Al Swealmeen was part of a terrorist group or conspired with them. This suggests that he is a “lonewolf” who was radicalized online while in lockdown.
According to a source, the Telegraph was told by a security agent that while this attack seemed entirely jihadist from a methodological standpoint, they are open-minded about what exactly motivated him. The detonation would look accidental if he had created a more dangerous device. It seems lucky.”
Emad Al Swealmeen (left), was baptised at the Anglican Cathedral in 2017, and then confirmed by Malcolm Hitchcott (right). He went on to become a pizza chef after making numerous asylum appeals.
Following being “jolted”, his homemade bomb went off as he approached the hospital. Experts believe it was a Mother of Satan device that had been poorly constructed or one made with fireworks.
In an insider’s statement, the newspaper stated that the failure was claimed by the journalist. Asylum seeker who managed to stay in the UK seven years later, visited the mosque “all the day every day” during Ramadan and also saw worshipping there the week before the terrorist attack.
Also, it was discovered that Al Swealmeen used a false identity called Enzo Almeni and submitted numerous asylum applications and appeals, one of which in January.
Following his failed November 2014 asylum application which was denied by the Home Office, the terrorist is accused of trying to “game” Britain’s creaking immigration. He claimed that Jesus was his Syrian origin and was found Jesus.
To add to the suspicion that he was lying, his relatives abroad stated that he was from Iraq after his death.
Al Swealmeen filed an appeal before the First Tier Tribunal at the Immigration and Asylum Chamber. The appeal was denied on April 16, 2015.
Later in the year, appeals to that court as well to the Upper Tier Tribunal were denied.
Al Swealmeen submitted a second asylum request to the Home Office under his new name in 2017. However, it was turned down two years later.
He then applied to the First Tier Tribunal again on January 19th, which was being reviewed at the time that he committed suicide.
Police raided a pub in search of the Poppy Day suicide bomber and found several suspicious packages.
Officers said Emad Al Swealmeen, 32, had planned an attack for seven months but have not found any evidence that he conspired with or was inspired by a terror group.
A Royal Logistics Corp bomb disposal vehicle was seen arriving in Sutcliffe Street, Liverpool along with a fire engine, and the cordon was slightly extended to Boaler Street before ending this evening.
Residents that were told to move out have been informed they will be seen by explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), officers on Thursday, in the event of further suspicious items being found.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said several suspicious packages were found, and were examined by EOD officers before being recovered by forensic teams.
Also, searches were conducted at Rutland Avenue property that Al Swealmeen rented since April. That is what the police are investigating.
Police previously stated Al Swealmeen was born in Iraq and had taken a seven-month lease on a Liverpool property. He had also begun making “relevant purchases” for the homemade bomb since that point.
Al Swealmeen is still not being charged by officers.
The theory goes that the bomber had a mental crisis after he failed to get asylum in the UK. This was because the Home Office didn’t believe he was Syrian.
ACC Jackson updated the investigation by stating that the converted pizza chef from Islam to Christianity started renting his Rutland Avenue apartment in Liverpool around Easter.
ACC Jackson explained that ‘a complicated picture is emerging over components of the device’. He said that Al Swealmeen rented property starting in April, and that we think that the relevant purchases have taken place at least since this time.
He said, “At the moment we aren’t finding any connection to other people in the Merseyside region of concern. However, this is a fast-moving investigation. As more information becomes available we can’t rule out taking action against others.”
He confirmed the cause of the terrorist’s death and said that a post-mortem had been performed on him. The cause of death was described as burns from the explosion and fire.
Additionally, he said that 32-year old asylum seeker suffered from mental illnesses that would ‘part of the investigation’ and that it will take time to understand.
Jackson said that there was much media attention on Al Swealmeen, and it’s clear that many knew him. As we attempt to piece together this event and its causes, we continue to call for those who knew him and especially those associated with him in this year’s appeal.
Yesterday’s arrival of the Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Disposal crew at Sutcliffe Street, Kensington after suspect items were discovered in an asylum hostel
Emad Al Swaalmeen 32, a former asylum seeker who is also a pizza chef has not been found any evidence suggesting that he conspired with or inspired a terrorist group. This suggests that he may have become radicalised while locked down.
These photos show the filthy inside of the Sutcliffe Street asylum hostel where the bomber stayed.
Just before Remembrance Sunday’s 11 am national silence, his 1lb bomb went off in his taxi as he pulled up to the Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
There were conflicting reports on the materials used to make this device.
Insiders claim it was made with homemade TATP explosives. TATP explosive is known to be unstable. It is also known as the ‘Mother of Satan’ due to its vulnerability to accidental explosions. It was used by Islamist terrorists in Paris’ suicide attacks of 2015 and 2017 Manchester Arena bombings.
Other experts think he might have ordered his explosives online, or even on the high streets. He may also have built his homemade improvised bomb device (IED), using seasonal fireworks.
Investigators now want to track Al Swealmeen’s movements in order to determine if he purchased his explosives on the internet or off-the-shelf. Experts fear that the bomber made his homemade improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with seasonal fireworks.
According to a former official counter-terrorism, the smoke billowing from the taxis could signal the use gunpowder. A flash inside the cab may also indicate that powder burning has occurred.
“It is possible for homemade devices to be made using fireworks but you need planning skills and experience.”
Some suspect he could have been following a recipe that was used in the bombing of 7/7 London in 2005.
It is alarming that no one who knows him raised concerns about his behaviour. According to his local mental health trust, he was previously receiving treatment but is no longer a patient.
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said that Emad Al Swealmeen was a previous user of our services, but not at the time the incident occurred.
Friends claimed that Al Swealmeen was depressed and had been sectioned after being rejected asylum in 2014.
They remembered how the bomber was so “car crazy” that he gave himself the nickname of ‘GT”. He also had his initials and a chequered flag tattooed on the arm.
He changed his name to Enzo Almeni – after the Ferrari boss – and loved go-karting so much that that he bought his own helmet and got friends to sign it.
He enjoyed frequenting the TeamSport track at Liverpool’s Brunswick docks. Sometimes he would race with housemates.
Friends claimed that they were shocked to learn that the poppy day bomber was a quiet and brash young man who also loved country music singer Johnny Cash.
After the blast at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, which killed terrorist Emad al Swealmeen 32, this afternoon’s taxi was damaged and removed by the forensic officer.
View from the air of the wreckage of the ambulance and of the Liverpool Women’s Hospital explosion.
One said that Al Swealmeen was familiar to him through his work at a pizzeria.
“He was very shy, quiet but not strangely so. When I saw his photo, I almost fell from my chair. I would not have picked him over any other takeaway worker to make something as sick.
“He was not shy but didn’t seem to be hiding anything, more like he wasn’t confident. I did hear him mention feeling down once, but he never really spoke up about it. He was living in a small apartment with some other people at that time and all he wanted to do was go-karting.
“He was so excited to show me the helmet he purchased. He took to go-karting on his own a couple of times, was very interested in it and got a tattoo.
“He loved Johnny Cash, and told me that he also wanted a Johnny Cash tattoo.
Malcolm Hitchcott (77), a retired Army officer and lay pastor, gave Al Swealmeen an apartment in his house for 8 months in 2017. He also remembers accompanying him to the track.
He was seen in his racing outfit at the venue where he competed in both marathon karting races Top Gun and 50-lap races. He got me to sign my helmet much like Lewis Hamilton does with helmets. [for fans],’
Hitchcott stated that although he didn’t speak about any particular driver, he loved Ferrari. He was a Ferrari guy. He also had a Ferrari email address. He was passionate about motor racing.
Al Swealmeen was believed to have called a taxi from Rutland Avenue towards the Crown Street hospital before 11:00am Remembrance Sunday
It boasts a 40mph indoor kart track and several Liverpool sporting legends including Sam Quek, Jamie Carragher, Tony Bellew and Sam Quek on its celebrity leaderboard.
However, a source stated that Al Swealmeen has not been to the track in more than a year. Al Swealmeen was last night described by a businessman as a polite, nice guy who worked at his take-out pizza place for several months starting in 2016.
The man who refused to give his name said that he was surprised when he saw the identity of the person.
“I’m still stunned by it. He was polite and nice. I was not told he was a practicing Muslim. He said he had a Christian family and wasn’t religious.
“I have worked with Muslims in the past, and some don’t like to touch ham that isn’t Halal. But he seemed unaffected by this.
“He worked for me part-time. He had a valid visa. I paid him about £50 a day.
“Never in a million of years would I consider him capable to do such a thing.”
Al Swealmeen, according to the friend, was not religious.
He added, “He never talked about religion.”
He said, “I did not believe that he was a Christian. However, I can recall him telling me once that he used to go to church regularly and wanted to make friends there.
“I would like to learn more about what happened to him in the last years. His actions must have been corrupted or manipulated. The man I knew and what he did on Sunday – they are like night and day.’