Man jailed over plot to make explosives after series of break-ins at his home

A man considered making potentially deadly “booby traps” after a series of thefts at his home.

Shazad Khan, 52, sparked a large-scale evacuation of his street in Glasgow’s west end after suspicious items were found in his four-bedroom flat.

Emergency services – including a hazardous materials support unit and members of the armed forces – attended at the scene on February 15, 2024.

Gunpowder, metal piping and bags of ball bearings were seized during the raid.

Prosecutors stated these items were capable of being used or combined to make an explosive device.

It led to Khan appearing at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday.

He had been due to stand trial, but instead pled guilty to a charge under the Explosives Substances Act.

Khan was jailed for three years and 11 months.

Police had first been alerted after Royal Mail staff had intercepted the delivery of three cattle prods to Khan’s home in January 2024.

These items were eventually deemed to be legal.

But, Khan’s flat was searched weeks after the discovery.

It was then police found the gunpowder in a shoebox, the ball bearings in a rucksack as well the metal piping in a bedroom.

There was also a wooden board covered in black paint and burn marks.

Officers also seized glue, a hacksaw and a vice.

Media reports at the time stated how two blocks of flats in the city’s Broomhill Drive were evacuated overnight.

A total of 26 people made use of a nearby emergency rest centre while others made alternative arrangements.

The street was eventually reopened, but a cordon initially remained in place.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell said the 33g of gunpowder found was the type commonly used in commercial fireworks.

He added: “The expert opinion is that the metal pipes can be used as the container for an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

“To form the IED, the pipe would need to be filled with a viable explosive substance such as gunpowder.”

The ball bearings could have been “shrapnel”.

But, the court heard the pipes would have needed “further modification” for an explosive device to be made.

Khan mainly made no comment when interviewed by police.

However, he did claim officers had “got it all wrong” as the black powder was not gunpowder. Khan added all of the items belonged to him.

Khan’s mobile phone was also checked, but no suspicious messages or web searches were discovered.

He had previously been jailed at the High Court in 2018 after importing more than 40 firearms from abroad hoping to then make a profit by selling them online.

The pistols – which could discharge harmful gases, blank cartridges or flares – cost £3,200 from a weapons company in the Czech Republic.

His lawyer said the latest offence continued “something of a theme” as he had “a habit of openly, but unwisely ordering items online”.

Tony Lenehan, defending, added Khan had explained to him “the journeys that he took on YouTube on all manner of things”.

The KC said the dad “lived in a nice house in Glasgow’s west end”, but that there had been break-ins at a basement area. He had then thought of how best to keep his property secure.

Mr Lenehan said: “His explanation is that, for a while, he had toyed with the idea of making booby traps.

“That is an absurd idea…a dangerous thing to do.”

The advocate said Khan had “never paused to make sure that he is not doing anything wrong”.

Lord Scott stated the offence carried a potential life sentence.

He told Khan: “It is frankly baffling that you thought that this was an acceptable response, even to repeated thefts from your property.

“Beyond possession of these items, there are no sinister purposes other than what I have been informed of, which are bad enough.

“It is just as well for you the authorities intercepted these deliveries before you attempted to set booby traps.

“Had you done so, there is every possibility that you would have killed or maimed yourself, or a member of your family or some entirely innocent member of the public.

“Taking the law into your own hands is not allowed.”

The judge cut the jail-term from four and a half years due to the guilty plea.