Three men have been found guilty of leading a terrorist bomb plot that could have been bigger than the July 7 atrocities.
Irfan Naseer (31), Irfan Khalid (27) and Ashik Ali (27), all from Birmingham, were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of planning the attack.
They were “central figures” in an Islamic extremist plot to set off up to eight rucksack bombs and possibly other devices on timers in crowded areas.
Police believe it was the most significant terror plot to be uncovered since the 2006 conspiracy to blow up transatlantic airliners using bombs disguised as soft drinks.
Khalid even boasted that the attack was “another 9/11” as “revenge for everything”.
Naseer was found guilty of five counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, Khalid four, and Ali three, all between Christmas Day 2010 and September 19 2011.
For Naseer, from Sparkhill, Khalid, from Sparkbrook, and Ali, from Balsall Heath, this included planning a bombing campaign, collecting money for terrorism and recruiting others for terrorism.
Naseer and Khalid travelled to Pakistan for training, and Naseer helped others travel to the country for the same purpose.
Naseer and Khalid both travelled to terrorist training camps in Pakistan between 2009 and 2011 to learn about bomb-making, poisons and firearms.
After they returned to the UK, the group tried to fund the plot by posing as Muslim Aid charity street collectors, duping legitimate supporters into giving them money.
They raised £12,000 for themselves in this way but were forced to apply for tens of thousands of pounds in loans after losing more than £9,000 of the money playing foreign currency markets.