Adeel Khan, identified as a human trafficking boss, has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for assisting former soldier Daniel Khalife in evading justice following his escape from HMP Wandsworth in 2023. Khan, 32, arranged for £400 in cash to be delivered to Khalife after his breakout.
Khalife, who was awaiting trial on charges of spying for Iran and staging a bomb hoax, escaped from the south-west London prison by clinging to the underside of a food delivery truck. Khan, who had worked with Khalife in the prison kitchen, tasked Imran Chowdhury, 26, with withdrawing the money for Khalife and arranged for Chowdhury to be paid £120 for the task.
Chowdhury, a web developer for The Telegraph newspaper, traveled to Richmond, withdrew the cash, and met Khalife. He stated he did not recognize Khalife at the time due to the escapee wearing a cap and face mask. Chowdhury was later arrested in January 2024 but acquitted by a jury. Khalife was apprehended three days after his escape on a canal towpath in Northolt, west London, following a nationwide manhunt.
During his time on the run, Khalife used borrowed phones from members of the public to contact Khan, who was in possession of an illicit phone within the prison. Prosecutors stated that Khan provided "valuable assistance" that enabled Khalife to acquire clothing for disguise, purchase a phone to contact his Iranian handlers, and prolong his evasion.
Khan has a history of convictions, including drug offenses in 2015 and 2018. He was awaiting extradition to France in connection with serious offenses, including possession of firearms and ammunition found in his vehicle in 2018. He was later identified as a leader of a human trafficking network and was convicted in France in his absence. He was eventually tracked down in East London.
Khalife's capture in September 2023 led to the discovery of a red diary containing Khan's prison number, mobile phone number, and Snapchat handle. Khalife was sentenced to 14 years and three months in February 2024 after being convicted of breaching the Official Secrets and Terrorism Acts. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter terrorism policing London, noted the significant police resources dedicated to the manhunt and stated that Khan's actions demonstrated that anyone assisting a wanted criminal would face justice.