UK airports put extra security checks in place as escaped prisoner is on the run

Shortly before 8am on Wednesday, Daniel Abed Khalife went missing from the prison where he was being held awaiting trial for a terror offence, the bomb hoax and an alleged breach of the Official Secrets Act.

He has denied all the charges against him.

The prison service said it is “urgently investigating” how he managed to escape.

Passengers at Gatwick Airport are experiencing long queues and extra security measures as the search for Khalife continues, Sky News understands.

“Additional security measures are currently in place at London Gatwick and other UK airports and ports,” according to an airport spokesperson, Sky News reports.

Due to “additional checks”, Heathrow Airport has also warned passengers about longer wait times.

Passengers at Manchester Airport have taken to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to report long queues and a spokesperson for the airport has confirmed to Newsquest that “this is linked to a UK Border Force operation”.

How did Daniel Abed Khalife escape prison?

It’s thought that the prisoner escaped by clinging to a delivery vehicle.

A Prison Service source has told the Sun that he managed to sneak out of the kitchens and hold onto the bottom of a delivery van.

The newspaper understands the category B prison has been put on lockdown since the prisoner’s escape.

We are urgently appealing to trace Daniel Khalife, who escaped from Wandsworth Prison this morning.

He has links to #Kingston – police efforts to trace him are ongoing. He should not be approached.

If you have info on his whereabouts, call 999 quoting CAD 1631/06SEP23 pic.twitter.com/Q7B9uKV9uJ

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 6, 2023

How the public can help in the search for Daniel Abed Khalife

Khalife is 6ft 2in and was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, red and white chequered trousers and brown steel-toe-cap boots, the Metropolitan Police said.

He is slim with short brown hair.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “We have a team of officers who are making extensive and urgent enquiries in order to locate and detain Khalife as quickly as possible.

“However, the public can help us as well and should anyone see Khalife, or have any information as to where he might be, then please call 999 immediately.

“I also want to reassure the public that we have no information which indicates, nor any reason to believe that Khalife poses a threat to the wider public, but our advice if you do see him is not to approach him and call 999 straight away.”

According to Sky News, a spokesperson for the force added: “An alert was issued by the Counter Terrorism Command earlier today in relation to Khalife through established operational briefing channels to relevant UK police and law enforcement agencies, including those at UK ports and borders.”

The public should not approach Khalife if they believe they have seen him, instead, they should call 99 immediately and quote reference CAD 1631/06SEP23.