30/10/2024
https://www.itv.com/news/2024-08-21/southport-money-main-motive-of-man-charged-with-cyberterrorism-in-pakistan
Pakistani police say money was the main motive of a man charged with cyberterrorism after he allegedly spread disinformation related to the Southport attack.
The suspect, named by police as 32-year-old Farhan Asif, was arrested in Lahore, Pakistan on Tuesday and was charged on Wednesday.
The arrest follows an ITV News investigation revealing Asif’s links to a website called Channel3Now, which amplified disinformation about the teenager charged with killing three young girls and injuring 10 others in a knife attack in Southport last month.
Channel3Now, which regularly publishes hyperbolic news stories under the pretence of being an American-style TV channel, was taken down hours after ITV News confronted Asif at his home address in Lahore.
Asif reportedly claimed four individuals were working on the site, but police confirmed to ITV News that he was working alone
The information incorrectly claimed the Southport suspect was a “17-year-old asylum seeker” named Ali al-Shakati, who was on “an MI6 watch list”. This was shared widely on social media, with the false claim repeated millions of times.
Police in the UK have since clarified the Southport suspect was Axel Rudakubana, an 18-year-old from Lancashire.
After the fake news story spread, a violent mob attacked a mosque near the site of the stabbing the next day. Riots subsequently broke out across the UK and more than 1,000 people were arrested.