Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, the main suspect in the Clapham chemical attack, is believed to have gone into the River Thames and police are set to launch a search for his body. Detectives have been searching for Ezedi for over a week after he allegedly used an alkaline substance to injure a mother and her two daughters. They recently revealed that Ezedi was “being helped by others” to evade capture and police have been targeting his associates. A man was arrested but was later released on bail.
Ezedi was last seen at Chelsea Bridge, west London, on the night of the attack – about four hours after the crime took place. The Thames search, which is set to take place at low tide, involves boats from the Marine Policing Unit. Officers warned that the river was very fast-flowing and full of snags at this time of year, and there is a possibility that Ezedi’s body may never surface.
Furthermore, it’s believed that death is the “most probable outcome” if Ezedi had indeed gone into the water. According to Detective Superintendent Rick Sewart, he is also a suspect in an attempted murder case. A woman, with whom Ezedi had been in a previous relationship, was sedated in hospital after the attack, and there are concerns that she may lose sight in one eye. The eight and three-year-old daughters have been discharged from the hospital.
Originally from Afghanistan, Ezedi arrived in the UK by lorry in 2016 and settled in the north-east of England. In 2018, he was convicted of two sexual offences and was allowed to remain in the UK because his crimes did not meet the deportation threshold. His asylum claim was rejected twice, but he was later granted asylum after claiming he had converted to Christianity
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More