A British teenager of Bangladeshi descent who traveled to Syria in 2015 with two friends to join the Daesh terrorist group was smuggled into the war-ravaged country by a Canadian spy, a new explosive book reveals.
Authorities in Shamima Begum’s home country conspired with Canada to cover up her disappearance, according to a newly released book, ‘The Secret History of the Five Eyes’ by Richard Kerbaj, a former security correspondent of The Sunday Times, based on interviews with world leaders and top spies.
Then-15-year-old Begum and her two friends – Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15 – left their homes in east London’s Bethnal Green area in 2015 to be the Daesh brides.
Begum subsequently married a Dutch foreign fighter in Syria and gave birth to three children.
In February 2019, Begum expressed her desire to return home, but the British government revoked her citizenship, leading to a legal battle for the restoration of her citizenship.
Begum, now 23-year-old, remains detained in a camp in northern Syria.
The explosive book makes startling disclosures about the case, saying the Scotland Yard [London police] knew the teenage girls were trafficked into Syria by a smuggler who was working as a double agent for Daesh and the Canadian intelligence.
"Canada knew about the teenagers' fate but kept silent while the Metropolitan Police ran a frantic, international search for the trio," British newspaper The Times cited the book in a report on Tuesday.
"Canada privately admitted its involvement only when it feared being exposed, and then successfully asked the British to cover up its role,” it added.
Canadian authorities continued to remain silent, but after Türkiye arrested the smuggler, Canadian national Mohammed Al Rasheed, it privately conveyed it to the UK, the book and media reports said.
According to reports, before becoming Canada's spy, Rasheed had traveled to Jordan where he met officials at the Canadian embassy and sought asylum in the country.
However, the book reveals that the human trafficker was instead recruited and told to collect intelligence on the Daesh terrorist group.
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Authorities in Shamima Begum’s home country conspired with Canada to cover up her disappearance, according to a newly released book, ‘The Secret History of the Five Eyes’ by Richard Kerbaj, a former security correspondent of The Sunday Times, based on interviews with world leaders and top spies.
Then-15-year-old Begum and her two friends – Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15 – left their homes in east London’s Bethnal Green area in 2015 to be the Daesh brides.
Begum subsequently married a Dutch foreign fighter in Syria and gave birth to three children.
In February 2019, Begum expressed her desire to return home, but the British government revoked her citizenship, leading to a legal battle for the restoration of her citizenship.
Begum, now 23-year-old, remains detained in a camp in northern Syria.
The explosive book makes startling disclosures about the case, saying the Scotland Yard [London police] knew the teenage girls were trafficked into Syria by a smuggler who was working as a double agent for Daesh and the Canadian intelligence.
"Canada knew about the teenagers' fate but kept silent while the Metropolitan Police ran a frantic, international search for the trio," British newspaper The Times cited the book in a report on Tuesday.
"Canada privately admitted its involvement only when it feared being exposed, and then successfully asked the British to cover up its role,” it added.
Canadian authorities continued to remain silent, but after Türkiye arrested the smuggler, Canadian national Mohammed Al Rasheed, it privately conveyed it to the UK, the book and media reports said.
According to reports, before becoming Canada's spy, Rasheed had traveled to Jordan where he met officials at the Canadian embassy and sought asylum in the country.
However, the book reveals that the human trafficker was instead recruited and told to collect intelligence on the Daesh terrorist group.
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