The chef’s uniform Daniel Abed Khalife was wearing when he escaped Wandsworth Prison has been revealed by police as the nationwide manhunt for the fugitive terror suspect continues.
The former British army soldier fled from HMP Wandsworth at 7.50am on Wednesday by clinging to the straps of a food delivery van while wearing the cook’s uniform he wore to work in the London prison.
As more than 150 Metropolitan Police officers and staff search for the 21-year-old, the force has revealed images of the clothes he wore when he escaped, with a police spokesperson telling The Independent the outfit is assumed to be Khalife’s chef’s uniform.
The former British Army officer was dressed in a cook’s outfit— (Met Police)
The photos show a white T-shirt, red and white chequered trousers, and brown steel-toe cap boots.
The Met has also announced it is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Khalife, as they investigate a sighting of him near Wandsworth Roundabout, which “could be very significant”.
Detectives have received information from a member of the public who said they saw a man fitting Khalife’s description walking away from a BidFood van that had stopped near the south entrance to the Wandsworth Roundabout, at the top of Trinity Road, shortly after his escape. The man was then seen walking towards Wandsworth town centre.
This is one of several key lines of enquiry that officers are pursuing, said police, with the force having received over 100 calls from the public.
Daniel Khalife escaped from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday morning— (PA Wire)
Khalife is thought to have snuck out of the kitchen and clung onto the bottom of a delivery van to make his escape.
The Met previously released a picture of dark-haired Khalife, describing him as slim build and around 6ft 2in tall.
Police said that Khalife has links to the Kingston area and believe he most likely remains in the London area at this time, with members of the public urged not to approach him.
Khalife appeared at the Old Bailey in late July where he denied the charges he is facing, which include a bomb hoax at an RAF base.
It is claimed that he placed “three canisters with wires on a desk in his accommodation” with the intention of inducing in another a belief this was “likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property”.
Daniel Khalife’s pink and white chequered trousers— (Met Police)
He is also accused of eliciting or trying to elicit information that could be useful for a terrorist on 2 August 2021, and breaching the Official Secrets Act by gathering information that could be useful to an enemy between 1 May 2019 and 6 January 2022.
A trial date had been set for 13 November at Woolwich Crown Court.
Khalife is understood to have joined the British army in 2018 and worked as a computer network engineer as part of the Royal Signals where he was based at the Ministry of Defence’s Stafford military base – also known as Beacon Barracks.
A court previously heard that he disappeared from the barracks on 2 January after the alleged bomb hoax before he was “arrested in or near his car” 24 days later.
The MoD confirmed that he was discharged from the army in May of this year as a result of the charges he was facing.
Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “This remains a fast-paced and dynamic investigation, but I want the public to know that a large number of officers are working extremely hard to locate Khalife.
“We have now received more than 100 calls from the public, and we thank everyone who has contacted us with information.
“The sighting near Wandsworth Roundabout could be very significant, and this is one of many useful lines of enquiry that officers are perusing.
“We continue to urge the public to contact us straight away if they think they have seen Khalife or have information on his whereabouts.
“We will continue to work closely with all our colleagues in police services across the country and other partners to trace Khalife and bring him back into custody.”
To report a live sighting of Khalife, or urgent information, call 999. Alternatively, anyone with information that might assist the ongoing enquiry can call police on 101.
