Undercover cops swooped on fugitive Daniel Khalife and arrested him beside a canal bridge in Chiswick after he had been at large for four days.
Khalife was caught after being pulled off a push bike by a plain-clothed officer, police have said. An eyewitnesses reported seeing the 21-year-old with cable ties around his wrists as undercover officers detained him before heavy reinforcements arrived from all directions, including members of the police Territorial Support Group. The dramatic arrest marks the end of a four-day manhunt for Khalife involving hundreds of officers working round the clock after the former soldier escaped HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday morning after hiding under a food delivery van.
The arrest came shortly before 11am this morning as police descended on the canal in west London. Pictures from the scene show Khalife held by cops near to a bike and a sleeping bag. He was also found with a Waitrose cool bag of groceries when cops arrested him. Student Ethan Andrews was on his way to the gym when he said he saw police holding down Khalife beside a Grand Union Canal bridge.
The 22-year-old Bath University student, from west London, told The Sun: "I was crossing over the bridge and saw this man with cable ties around his hands. One of the cops said, 'We're undercover officers.’ I keep up with the news and I recognised him and said, 'Is that the guy who was in prison?', and one officer said, 'yes'.
Police dog unit vehicles are seen in Chiswick House & Gardens in west London on the hunt for terror suspect Daniel Khalife (Peter Macdiarmid/LNP)Despite being told not to film by the officers Ethan started taking footage of the arrest, he said. "The three officers had him on the floor and then five minutes later there were loads more police on the scene - some from the Territorial Support Group too. The guy had been on a bike and had a sleeping bag - he seemed to have a change of clothes."
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The Metropolitan Police today confirmed Khalife had been caught. Scotland Yard said in a statement: "Metropolitan Police officers have arrested Daniel Khalife, who escaped from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday 6 September. Officers apprehended him just before 11am today, in the Chiswick area, and he is currently in police custody. We would like to thank the public and media for their support throughout our investigation to locate Khalife and we will provide a further update on his arrest in due course."
Police in Chiswick House & Gardens area in west London hunting for Daniel Khalife (Peter Macdiarmid/LNP)Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he is “very pleased” at the arrest of Khalife. Speaking to broadcasters at the G20 summit venue in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said: “I’m very pleased with the news and my thanks to the police officers for their fantastic work over the past couple of days, but also to the public who came forward with an enormous number of leads to help the police in their inquiries. “It’s good news that we captured the person concerned. As people already know, the Justice Secretary has initiated an inquiry into the circumstances of his escape and that work will continue. And this is obviously very welcome news. And again, my thanks to the police but also to the public for their help.”
Meanwhile Home Office minister Chris Philp congratulated the police for their “rapid and effective” work. The policing minister wrote on social media: “Great work by the Met Police. Well done for a rapid and effective piece of work to catch this fugitive. “An example of policing at its best. Congratulations to all Officers involved in this operation.”
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