This is the moment the ISIS-supporting brother of a man who planned to massacre Jews in Manchester was arrested by counter-terror police as he worked out at the gym with his teenage stepson.
Bilel Saadaoui, 36, faces up to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of failing to disclose terrorist acts that were being concocted by his brother Walid Saadaoui, 38, and co-conspirator Amar Hussein, 52.
Walid Saadaoui and Hussein each face life in prison after being convicted of preparing to slaughter Jewish people in an attack inspired by ISIS as ‘revenge’ for Israel‘s military operations in Gaza following the October 7 incursion by Hamas.
The pair were planning to gun down participants at a march against antisemitism in Manchester before targeting schools and synagogues in the city’s Jewish community in a chilling echo of the Bondi Beach attack in Australia earlier this month.
Bilel, who worked at a discount store in Hindley, Greater Manchester and was Tunisian-born like his brother, had been told about the plot and even sent his older brother supportive messages.
But the gym enthusiast soon found himself a target of the authorities after Walid Saadaoui told a man he knew as ‘Farouk’ – whom he believed would help him secure automatic weapons for the summer 2024 plot – that his sibling knew of the plan.
In reality, ‘Farouk’ was an undercover police officer.
And as Bilel worked out with his then-16-year-old stepson at the The Warehouse Gym in Hindley on May 8 last year, the plot came crashing down.
This is the moment Bilel Saadaoui, in a white Lee Cooper t-shirt, was arrested after failing to tell police about his brother’s plan to massacre Jews
Bilel was led outside by police and pinned to the bonnet of a car as he was informed he was under arrest under suspicion of offences in connection with the Terrorism Act
Exclusive footage obtained by the Mail at the time shows plain clothes officers pinning the terror supporter to the ground, watched by stunned gym-goers.
He is then led away, his head bowed, and his wrists bound behind his back. Outside, specialist handlers waited with police dogs – just in case Bilel had tried to flee.
Closer inspection of the plain clothes officers reveals they were armed, Glock 9mm pistols tucked into their waistbands.
Footage released following the trio’s convictions at Preston Crown Court yesterday shows what happened next: Bilel, his head pinned to a car bonnet, is told he is being arrested on suspicion of being a terrorist.
After being told this, he replies: ‘OK… on what basis? Are you recording this?’ He then looks down the barrel of the camera filming him.
His trainer was ripped off as he was brought to the bonnet. An officer then allows him to put it back on. As he does so, Bilel says: ‘Can I do it myself? I’m not going anywhere, mate.’
For almost three minutes, he then stares at his reflection in the bonnet, seemingly contemplating what comes next. He is then pulled upright and faces away from the camera – still wearing his thick weightlifting gloves from the gym.
It was one of four raids carried out by up to 200 officers across the North – many armed – that saw all three men arrested at the same time.
Neighbours told the Mail at the time that Bilel was ‘quite religious’ while Jonathan Hart, co-owner of the gym, said he had visited ‘three or four times’.
Bilel was pinned to the ground during the raid on May 8 – one of four simultaneous moves by counter-terror police to bring the plot crashing down
Bilel is seen standing upright after being arrested by police at The Warehouse Gym in Hindley in May last year
Helmet camera footage since released by police shows he was still wearing his weightlifting gloves at the time of his arrest
Bilel Saadaoui (right) seen in a surveillance photo with his brother, Walid, who has been convicted of plotting to massacre Jewish people in Manchester as ‘revenge’ for Israel’s operations in Gaza
Amar Hussein and Bilel Saadaoui seen together in a surveillance photograph. Their plot to kill Jews was brought down by an undercover police officer known as ‘Farouk’
The fitness fanatic regularly took pictures of himself working out, telling his trial at Preston Crown Court that he was ‘vain’
Bilel had created compilations of himself working out set to religious songs that expressed support for the Islamic State
Bilel had married a widowed English hairdresser with two children who he met as she holidayed in Sousse, Tunisia, where he is reported to have worked in a hotel.
They are said to have met in 2010 before marrying in 2014 and moving to Hindley, the BBC reported.
The 11-week trial heard that Bilel denied supporting Islamic State, and claimed that he didn’t know ‘nasheeds’ – Islamic religious songs – found on his phone were created by the terror group.
Prosecutors had alleged that he expressed sympathy with ISIS and ‘knew what his brother was up to’. A video he took on his phone shows his stepson, armed with a BB gun, firing at targets while a pro-ISIS nasheed played.
On the date that Walid Saadaoui – who ‘hero-worshipped’ the mastermind of the Paris terror attack a decade ago -went to collect weapons which he intended to use in a gun attack, his brother Bilel messaged him: ‘May Allah Safeguard you.
‘If you see of them something that displease/disturb you or almost expose you, then dispense or return. This is better for you.’
Bilel had been given a copy of his brother’s will, and the key to a hidden safe. Two safes at Walid Saadaoui’s home contained a total of £92,000 in cash and an additional copy of his will.
The trial heard Bilel had used a nasheed referencing ‘jihad’ in a compilation video of him working out at the gym. He told the court the songs were in ‘formal Arabic’ and that he did not pay attention to the lyrics.
But jurors were also shown an image of Bilel and his step-son, each bare-chested and armed with swords, in a bedroom in January 2024.
Bilel Saadaoui (left) pictured posing with a sword alongside his teenage stepson. He sought to characterise the picture as ‘dress up’
He filmed his teenage stepson – who was with him at the gym when he was arrested – firing a BB gun, set to a religious song praising Islamic State
Bilel Saadaoui pictured outside the gym in a surveillance photograph taken by counter-terror police – minutes before armed officers swooped
The operation was overseen by heavily armed police who waited outside with sub-machine guns and fearsome dogs
He sought to characterise this as ‘dress up’, adding: ‘Sometimes I put my wife’s underwear on my head or dress up like gangsters… I just like acting daft at home.’
However, the jury took just one hour to convict Bilel of failing to disclose terrorist acts, and to convict his brother and Amar Hussein of preparing terrorist acts.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds operational responsibility for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: ‘Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein intended to target members of the Jewish community in an evil act born out of hate and intolerance.
‘If they had been successful then what followed would have been devastating and potentially one of the deadliest terrorist attacks to ever take place on UK soil.
‘Although Walid Saadaoui’s brother, Bilel, was not an active participant in preparations for this plot, he knew what was planned but chose to remain silent and that is simply not good enough.’
All three have been remanded and will face sentencing at Preston Crown Court on February 13 next year.
