Three individuals belonging to a Nazi group have been sentenced to 29 years in prison for conspiring to carry out a terrorist attack on a mosque. The trio, identified as Brogan Stewart, 25, Marco Pitzettu, 25, and Christopher Ringrose, 34, were arrested by authorities in Leeds just before they could execute their deadly plan.
Investigations revealed that the group, who glorified Nazis, possessed a cache of 200 weapons ranging from crossbows to machetes, along with an almost finished 3D-printed assault rifle. They had allegedly connected through Facebook with the intention of inciting racial violence and were gearing up for an assault on the al-Amin Islamic Educational Centre in Leeds, organizing a training session in Derbyshire woodland.
Counter terrorism officers intervened after monitoring the group’s activities and discovering their intentions to target mosques, Islamic centers, and synagogues. The group members, who had never met face-to-face, were under close surveillance, leading to the raid of their residences where incriminating evidence was found.
The gang’s leader, Stewart, along with his accomplices Pitzettu and Ringrose, were convicted of terrorism-related charges after a trial earlier in the year. Ringrose also faced additional charges for manufacturing a prohibited weapon. Det Chief Supt James Dunkerley of Counter Terrorism Policing North East emphasized the group’s dangerous ideologies and expressed relief that their plans were thwarted before any catastrophic event could occur.