ARMED officers raided a pizza takeaway where Abdul Ezedi, a fugitive from the chemical attack in Clapham, worked.
It was one of two warrants executed at addresses in Newcastle-upon-Tyne last night.
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Armed, masked officers raid Best Bite in Newcastle-upon-Tyne overnightCredit: NNP
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Clapham chemical attack fugitive Abdul Ezedi is believed to have worked at a takeawayCredit: PA
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Police swooped in this morning and were seen carrying bags of evidence from the scene
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Ezedi was last seen at Chelsea Bridge, he can be seen in the bottom right of the picture wearing a black jacket Credit: MET POLICE
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Updated timeline for Ezedi sightings
At around 11pm yesterday, the police cordoned off a 200m stretch of road outside Best Bite, in Forest Hall, in the north of the city.
A short time later, armed police officers with masks shouted to everyone in the pizzeria and grill to get out.
A battering ram was used to gain entry to the upstairs flat before detectives spent two hours searching the restaurant and flat for evidence.
They were later seen removing a number of items in evidence bags, including a hard drive from the store’s CCTV system, as staff shivered outside in the freezing temperatures.
The raid was such a surprise that the workers didn’t even have time to grab their coats.
They were led out as the manhunt for Ezedi – wanted for attempted murder – entered its seventh day on Thursday.
One said: “I’ve never seen so many police in my life.”
The police finally left around 2am.
No arrests have been made and Ezedi has been on the loose almost exactly a week after the attack, which took place 400 kilometers away in south London.
The takeaway manager said: “This has arrived from London.
Officers from Abdul Ezedi share the latest sighting of the Clapham chemical attacker
“They came and searched and found nothing. It’s okay. We don’t mind. He’s not here.”
Staff previously claimed that Ezedi had only worked at the takeout restaurant for a few days a year ago.
However, the locals believe that he has been there much more recently and that he worked there for about 12 months.
The Metropolitan Police raids in Newcastle were a joint operation with Northumbria Police and inquiries and searches are continuing.
In London, the investigative team has now updated the timeline of Ezedi’s last known movements on Wednesday, January 31.
He was previously believed to have been last seen at Vauxhall Bridge but was later spotted at a Shell petrol station on Grosvenor Road at 11.10pm.
He then passed the Thames Water Building, on Grosvenor Road, heading towards Chelsea Bridge at 11.19pm.
At 11.27pm he was seen heading back across Chelsea Bridge towards the north side after previously entering Battersea Park at 11.25pm.
A large number of officers also revisited the scene of the attack in Lessar Avenue, Clapham, yesterday evening to seek further information.
STILL IN MISERABILITY
Ezedi is suspected of luring the mother to meet him before dousing her with chemicals after their relationship “broke down,” police said Wednesday.
The suspect allegedly arranged to meet the 31-year-old after tracking her down to the two-star Clapham South Belvedere Hotel.
He then attacked her and her daughters, aged three and eight, in their car, police said.
Mom remains in hospital and is “too weak to speak” due to her “significant injuries”.
A total of 12 people were injured in the attack.
Police said Wednesday that the fugitive is now wanted for attempted murder due to the severity of his victim’s injuries.
He was last seen crossing Vauxhall Bridge Road on Grosvenor Road in London.
Ezedi came to the UK hidden in a lorry in 2016 and was twice refused asylum before he successfully appealed against the Home Office refusal claiming he had converted to Christianity.
He was convicted of two sex offenses in 2018 but was allowed to remain in the UK because his crimes were not serious enough to meet the threshold for deportation.
A tribunal judge is understood to have ruled in favor of his asylum claim in 2020 after a retired Baptist minister confirmed he had converted to Christianity, reportedly describing Ezedi as “totally committed” to his new faith.
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Officers used a battering ram to enter the upstairs apartment Credit: NNP
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Armed police were photographed this morning on the street Credits: NNP
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The manager of a takeaway restaurant said officers ‘found nothing’ during the raidCredit: NNP
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Police have cordoned off a 200m stretch of road outside Best Bite, in Forest Hall, NewcastleCredit: NNP
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