Officers from the South East Counter Terrorism Unit (SECTU) working with Sussex Police arrested a 40-year-old man in the early hours of last Wednesday before bailing him later the same day. He was taken into custody under Section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of being involved in some way with the war in Syria.
Arif Syed, chairman of Crawley Mosque, would not name the individual in question but confirmed he attends the mosque in Broadwood Rise and said he does not believe he is a terrorist.
Mr Syed said: "I know this person very well. He regularly comes to the mosque and is a family man with a wife and a 10-year-old son. I have known him for seven to eight years and it is my belief that he is not a terrorist. He is always friendly, he is not a violent person. From what his neighbours have said as well he is popular and well-liked in the community."
Mr Syed added the man had travelled to Syria on a humanitarian mission. "He went to Syria on a humanitarian mission to deliver aid and I'm as certain as I can be that it was the only reason he went out there. He came back before we asked members of the mosque not to go out to Syria, when we realised just how dangerous it was. To the best of my knowledge nobody has gone out since," he said.
There was police activity in Broadwood Rise, on the same road as Crawley Mosque in Broadfield, yesterday and while officers have not confirmed where the arrest took place, Mr Syed said the individual lived in the road.
When speaking to the Crawley News Mr Syed said he had not been in contact with the man since he was bailed. It is less than 12 months since a Crawley dad carried out a suspected suicide bombing in Syria.
Father-of-three Abdul Waheed Majeed, from Martyrs Avenue, Langley Green, is believed to have driven an armoured lorry full of explosives into a prison in Aleppo in the war-ravaged country last February. He was thought to have been in Syria on a humanitarian mission.
Mr Syed said he does not believe the man arrested this week had any connection with Mr Majeed and spoke out to condemn any terrorist links in Crawley.
He added: "We condemn all acts of terrorism. The Muslim community in Crawley is united against these terrible actions. I don't understand how they can be carried out in the name of religion when we totally condemn it. It is not permissible."
