4 in Britain’s Toxin Case Charged
Four North African men accused of manufacturing one of the world’s deadliest poisons in a tiny North London apartment were charged Saturday with producing chemical weapons and other terrorism offenses.
Police said the charges stem from the discovery of a small amount of ricin, a lethal toxin, during a raid on the apartment by anti-terrorist police last week.
The men, charged under the Chemical Weapons Act and Terrorism Act, were identified by police as Mustapha Taleb, Mouloud Feddag, Sidali Feddag and Samir Feddag. They are to appear in court Monday.
A police spokesman said the charges were the first to be brought under the 1996 Chemical Weapons Act. A conviction on the charges could bring a penalty of life in prison.
The four men were among seven arrested after the ricin was found.
Nasreddine Fekhadji, one of the three other suspects, was charged with forgery and counterfeit offenses.
Another suspect faces drug charges. The last man was released into the custody of the Immigration Service.
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