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Afghan royal: Anti-terror police twice singled me out for arrest
Ted Hynds25.09.09
A junior member of the Afghan royal family was targeted as a suspected terrorist by police.
Feroze Shaheed, 26, was arrested outside St Pancras Eurostar terminal six weeks ago and questioned for 13 hours before being released. It was the second time in three months his battered Ford Escort had been stopped at the station by anti-terrorism officers.
Mr Shaheed, a business student who lives near the station, was arrested after police searched the car and found a credit card in a woman's name and documents from Pakistan. He told officers he had lent the car to a friend and that they belonged to the man's girlfriend.
He was taken to a police station for questioning and his flat was searched before he was released on bail.
Although no charges were made his custody record showed that police investigated possible terror links with Afghanistan and Pakistan, money laundering and theft. On the eve of his bail renewal he was told no further action would be taken.
Mr Shaheed claims he was a victim of police bungling and says his family —cousins of Afghanistan's last king, Zahir Shah, who was deposed in 1973 — would never be involved in terrorism. His father is Sardar Shaheed, an adviser to president Hamid Karzai.
“It's true I am a Muslim but I don't have a beard, I wear Western clothes and I have Christian friends. I resent being painted as a terrorist suspect.
“We were the country's ruling family. We are more likely to be the targets of the Taliban or al Qaeda. I understand the need for heightened security measures, but what happened to me was unjustified. On each occasion an officer stepped out into the road and flagged me down. I was told it was a routine check but I didn't believe them. They identified themselves as anti-terrorist officers, and those people don't carry out anything routine.
“They singled me out. I was questioned for hours. I gave them a complete explanation for everything. I had nothing to hide so it was very worrying to learn I was a suspected terrorist.”
Mr Shaheed is worried about the effect his arrest could have on his family and his future. “I am here legitimately as a business studies student. I have a computer science degree and plan to return to my country. This could do me untold damage back in Afghanistan.”
His lawyer Alex Tribick, who won £706,000 from the Home Office for Colin Stagg, wrongly suspected of the murder of Rachel Nickell in 1992, said: “My client feels he was being persecuted on the flimsiest of evidence. He has provided a perfectly reasonable explanation for the material taken by the police and co-operated with them fully. Considering the sensitivity of the allegations it is surprising this matter was dealt with in such a heavy-handed way.”
A British Transport Police spokesman said: “A search revealed Mr Shaheed to be in possession of a credit card that officers had reason to believe was suspicious. Further investigation found the card to be legitimate. No further action will be taken.”
Reader views (10)
What planet are you on Neil? If you really want to see Marshall Law in operation, look at China. Their security goons even tried to impose it here during the Olympic torch parade through London. Look at what happens to dissenting voices in China? The death vans where some political prisoners on death row have their organs harvested from them for transplant. Right now the Nigerians are furious with China. Several hundred are in Chinese jails on fraud or illegal immigration charges. Nigerian authorities are demanding to know why they are being badly treated in the jails and why 30 Nigerians have died in jails. Far from jailing or killing our illegal immigrants, many tens of thousands live and work quite freely in Britain. A blind eye is turned to countless illegal entrants and overstayers. We heard many were on the cleaning squads of Government offices not so long ago. Indeed, one recently alleged illegal over-stayer felt emboldened enough to breezily take up work with the A General! Chutzpah or what - makes a mockery of your Marshall Law conspiracy theory.
- Greg Stevenson, London
They now have martial law in the US, and we will soon have it here in the UK as well. Those of us who warned everyone that martial law was on its way were called "conspiracy nuts". When the soldiers lock you up for voicing your opinions you will see that we "conspiracy nuts" were in fact telling the truth. Swine flu and the madatory vaccine, protests at the G20 meeting...they will use any manufactured crisis they like, to impose martial law.
- Neil, London, London UK
All he wants is a compensation claim. Send him packing. He cannot claim that he would be in danger in Afghanistan.
- Jilly, London
So what? Glad that the police are doing their job.
Afghan royal family, don't make me laugh.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Why isn't he back home where he belongs fighting for his "beloved country" what a sad, spineless loser.
Revoke his student visa and send back home, to do his duty and fight for his own country.
- P Staker, Londonistan.
What a Blooming Cheek! The British Royal Family, along with so many others British families, sends it sons to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, support democracy and risk being blown-up and in return the UK gets their minor Royalty wingeing about undemocratic treatment whilst swanning about London like a Chav. I don't see what untold damage it could do him back home given his home appears to be the UK, but certainly no-one would know about it at all if he hadn't so obliging posed for pictures for the press. Along with all his friends in Calais he should go back and receive the training that the British are helpfully given Afghanis to fight their oppressors themselves.
Am I just too cynical in wondering whether this is going to be used as a reason for him to claim political asylum because his life is now supposedly endangered . . . ?
- Roz, France
It was Afghanistan's extreme radicals who flooded Pakistan and spread hardline extremism. Now it is an unstabilized, almost failed State. His country hosted Bin Laden and saw the ensuing worldwide reign of terror. As a member of his country's ruling family, he should be well aware of this. Does this man not know that there's a war on? A few stops by our security forces (good to know they're on the job) only highlights that from the UK position, he's from a highly sensitive area of the world.
Terrorism isn't the only thing that's investigated. Don't forget. Afghanistan supplies most of Britain's heroin. Turkish and Asian gangs flood our streets with the evil stuff. There are big, big profits for the drug lords here and in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Large chunks of drug money finances the Taliban and Al Qaeda. For any inconvenience undergone, it would be practical to bear in mind that keeping vigilance against terrorists operating here isn't the only target of police and security forces. If they help stop the widespread dope gangs from flooding heroin onto our streets, they potentially save lives and help prevent others from becoming addicted and living miserable lives of degradation.
- Greg Stevenson, London
What an idiot - people like him make it more difficult for the Police to do their job. He's here on a student visa and if he doesn't like it he can go home.
- Jk, London
What a vile character this good-time-Charlie is!
Our lads of his age are daily having there arms and legs blown off whilst courageously fighting to secure and rebuild 'his' country, whilst he's swanning around like a playboy, and whining about over zealous, uncorrupt, democratic policing.
If he don't like life in a democracy, then he knows were he can go to build his ideals!
'Bout time he and his countrymen were sent back to sort their own bloody mess out!
- Dave, cumbria
He has a credit card in females name and documents relating to someone in Pakistan. The Police had every right and justification to seek further information on this, it takes time to carry out enquiries with third parties and its not pratical or apprpriate for this to be done on the street. Being a minor member of the former ruling class in Afghanistan he should be grateful that the police follow up on such matters as terrorisim is the very thing destroying his Country.
As hes 26 and a student, it seems he is trying to get compensation so he doesnt actually have to go and ever get a job.
- H, London, UK
