Men caught with 'terrorist cash'

Police discovered tens of thousands pounds destined for Kurdish terrorists when they arrested four men at Dover, a court has heard.

The four men were found with £25,000 on them, which was allegedly was destined for the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), which has spent 30 years fighting for a homeland in south-east Turkey.

A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London was told that police also found extensive documentation detailing the PKK's fundraising and other activities in the UK, where it is a proscribed organisation.

Money is collected through fundraising activities and through subscriptions not only from individuals but also from industry or commerce

Anthony Leonard QC

The men in the dock were Mehmet Karayilan, 48, and Oruc Geksoyler, 36, both from Edmonton, north London, Kahraman Ceren, 52, from Tottenham and Noori Noori, 38, from Stepney, east London.

They each deny one count under the Terrorism Act 2000 of possessing money "intending that it be used or having reasonably cause to suspect it may be used" by a banned organisation.

The court was told that photographs of armed "guerrillas" were found in the car they were driving and at their homes.

One document complained that the police regarded the PKK as being "on the same level" as Osama Bin Laden.

Anthony Leonard QC, for the prosecution, said a total of £25,302 was seized from the four men as they were about to drive on to a ferry at Dover bound for Calais in March.

He said the men denied any links with the outlawed organisation and little knowledge of it.

'Fanciful and untrue'

They also offered a variety of "fanciful and untrue" excuses for having the money on them, said Mr Leonard.

He told the jury the PKK was founded in 1978 by Abdullah Ocalan, who was sentenced to death by Turkey in 1999 but recently had the execution threat lifted.

The PKK has been dependent in large part for financial support from areas in which Kurdish people have settled, including the UK, where around 500,000 Kurds live.

Mr Leonard said Mr Karayilan's belongings contained a ledger which was to provide a "wealth of information" about PKK fundraising activities in Britain, and detail how and where tens of thousands of pounds had been raised.

'Front-lying activities'

There were also notebooks containing minutes of meetings around the country, as well as references to demonstrations, Britain's relationship with the US and the latter's Middle Eastern policies and attitude towards Saddam Hussein, he said.

Weapons were also mentioned, as were elements of strength and "frontline activities".

Turkish strategy and military movement were touched upon, he said.

Mr Karayilan, who was found with pictures of armed men, told police he had them because he admired the rural setting the were photographed in.

'Gifts'

Asked why he was going to Calais for less than 24 hours with more than £5,000 in his pocket, the defendant told police he had planned to "look around and buy nice things for his grandchild".

Mr Geksoyler explained his £9,600 plus as a mixture of spending money for France, cash for a friend's Calais kebab shop, and a few thousand he had simply forgotten to take out of his pocket.

The court heard Mr Ceren said most of the £5,185 in his possession belonged to his son-in-law and had been grabbed from a drawer following a "spur of the moment decision" to accompany the others.

Mr Noori said the £5,000 found on him had been sent by his sister to buy a carpet and a television and was stuffed in his pocket because he had "nowhere to leave it".

The trial continues.