The Metropolitan Police released the latest sighting of Abdul Yazidi on the evening of February 2. The photo was taken at King's Cross Tube station on Wednesday at 9:00pm, with the Yazidi reportedly boarding the southbound Victoria Tube approximately 90 minutes from Clapham. The attack, according to the Independent UK newspaper.
The Clapham chemical attack, which occurred earlier Wednesday in south London, targeted a 31-year-old mother and her two daughters, 3 and 8, who remain in hospital. 12 people were injured in the attack.
Abdul Yazidi, who was also a convicted sex offender in 2018 before being granted asylum in 2022, is currently on the run with a nationwide manhunt focused on finding him and bringing him to justice.
Meanwhile, in a night-time raid in Newcastle, at an address linked to a Yazidi, the main suspect in the Clapham chemical attack, police found two containers containing warnings about the corrosive substances. A Newcastle garage owner spotted him buying a car in 2023, Chronicle Live reports.
Containers containing corrosive material warnings were recovered from Abdul Yazidi's home in Newcastle
According to The Guardian, 5 arrest warrants were executed on Thursday to raid Abdul Yazidi’s home – 2 in east London and 3 in Newcastle. At one Newcastle address, two empty containers with corrosion warning labels were recovered.
John Savile, chief constable of the Metropolitan Police, revealed to the media that the containers are now being tested in a forensic laboratory to check whether they contain the substance used in the Clapham chemical attack. Savile also addressed Abdul Yazidi directly through the broadcasters, saying:
“Abdullah, you've clearly suffered some fairly serious injuries. We've seen the pictures, you need some medical help. So do the right thing and turn yourself in.”
The Daily Mail also reported that police were able to contact residents of a hostel in Baker, Newcastle, where Abdul Yazidi had recently been living. Residents claimed they had no idea they were “living next door to a registered sex offender”. They were aware of his asylum, but not of his conviction.
A charity worker stationed near Newcastle city center also revealed that Abdul Yazidi is originally from Iran and not Afghanistan, as previously thought. According to Daily Mail reports, Ezidi worked part-time as a building contractor as well as at a takeaway pizzeria.
Workers from Terence Wilkinson Roofing Contractors recognized Yazidi as part of the contractor team. One worker shared:
“He was part of a team of contractors and seemed to have some experience in construction work. He didn't say much, he just carried on with his work, but it's scary to think he could do something like that.”
Staff at a Kurdish grocery store in the Baker area of Newcastle, where Abdul Yazidi is said to live, described how he bought half a halal sheep from the store once in two weeks. They also claimed that the convict spoke of being a “good Muslim” who did not drink alcohol and wanted to return home soon to find a wife.
Bilal Khan, owner of Billy's Garage in Baker, revealed to the media how a Yazidi tried to buy a car from him in the summer of 2023.
“Last year he approached me and asked me if I had a car to sell. We had one he was interested in and I told him the price. He was a very persistent person and never let things go easy.”
While the Yazidi remains on the run, his victims – the mother and her daughters – are said to have had “life-changing” injuries as they receive treatment in hospital.
