Two Birmingham WhatsApp group members jailed for terrorism offences

Two Birmingham men have been jailed for terrorism offences after sharing extremist material on a Whatsapp group.

West Midlands Police discovered suspicious material after arresting Kyle Marcano for an unrelated offence in March 2023 and seizing his mobile phone. When officers examined the mobile they found out that the 28 year-old was a member of a chat group which shared terrorism material.

Marcano pleaded guilty to four offences last November including sending terrorist publications. On Friday (April 26), he was found guilty of four counts of dissemination of terrorist publications and one count of membership of a proscribed organisation. He will be sentenced at a later date.

A second man, who was also part of the same WhatsApp group, pleaded guilty at a hearing in January this year. Muhammed Maroof, aged 19 from Birmingham, pleaded guilty to four offences of distributing terrorist material. He was sentenced to four years and 10 months earlier this year.

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Detective Chief Superintendent Alison Hurst, who leads CTP West Midlands CTU, said: “These two knowingly shared videos and images containing very disturbing and dangerous content.

“We will continue to protect local communities by working with partners and the CPS to pursue and prosecute all those who show support for terrorism. We work tirelessly to counter terrorism. Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and security of the people who live, work and visit the West Midlands area."

A spokesperson for WMP added: “Every year thousands of reports from the public help police tackle the terrorist threat. If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right, trust your instincts and ACT by reporting to police in confidence at gov.uk/ACT. Reporting won’t ruin lives, but it could save them. Action Counters Terrorism. Remember, in an emergency, always dial 999.”