Radical preacher Anjem Choudary used rented railway viaduct arch as headquarter

LONDON - Radical hate preacher Anjem Choudary and his now banned group, Islam4Uk, had been using a rented viaduct arch under one of England’s busiest commuter lines as their headquarters.

The arch is under a major commuter line in Bethnal Green from Liverpool Street station in the City.

According to the Daily Express, neighbours had reported suspicious activity there late at night and in the early hours of the morning.

Choudary’s groups, which also include the banned Al-Muhajiroun founded by exiled Omar Bakri Muhammad, are linked to many of the dozen men arrested in pre-dawn raids last Monday.

The 12 are being held on suspicion of plotting a terrorist outrage over Christmas.

It is believed that the plot and other campaigns were planned from “Railway Arch 5, Gales Gardens, Bethnal Green”.

Choudary refused to say how long his group had been based at the lock-up, but a Brazilian dance and martial arts group moved in three weeks ago.

When told that the address was under surveillance by Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism squad, the self-styled preacher said: “How do you know that? No one was ever arrested and it was never raided. We moved out because the proprietors increased the rent.”

He also claimed that he and his supporters used the garage for “meetings and conferences” and as a “teaching institute”.

Meanwhile, a Network Rail spokesman refused to discuss tenancies at Gales Gardens, but added: “We’ve had no request from the police to search the premises.” (ANI)