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Daniel Khalife, a 23-year-old former soldier, has been convicted of spying offenses after sharing sensitive military information with Iranian agents.
His conviction comes after an investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, which began in November 2021 when Khalife anonymously contacted MI5 to claim he had established contact with Iranian agents and wanted to become a ‘double agent.
Khalife’s troubles started when he was arrested in January 2022, and police seized various devices and documents from his room.
The investigation found that Khalife had been in possession of sensitive documents and information, including details of soldiers attached to highly sensitive military units. He had also made contact with Iranian agents and passed sensitive military information to them over two and a half years.
Khalife’s case took a dramatic turn when he escaped from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023 while awaiting trial.
A three-day manhunt ensued, involving hundreds of officers from across the Metropolitan Police and other agencies. Khalife was eventually found and arrested in Northolt.
On November 28, Khalife was found guilty of passing on information to Iran and eliciting information useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. He will be sentenced on December 12.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “The threat to the UK from states such as Iran is very serious, so for a soldier in the Army to be sharing sensitive military material and information with them is extremely reckless and dangerous.
