Newcastle Properties Raided in Search of Chemical Attack Suspect
Written by Tobias Luke Phipps on 8th February 2024
Armed police have raided two properties in Newcastle as the hunt for suspected chemical attacker Abdul Shokoor Ezedi continues.
The two addresses, a pizza takeaway where Ezedi worked and a flat above, were searched in the early hours of the morning as part of a joint operation between the Metropolitan and Northumbria Police.
Ezedi has been on the run since January 31 after a woman and her two children were attacked with a chemical substance, believed to be a strong alkali.
The 31-year-old woman remains sedated in a critical condition in hospital and could lose sight in her right eye as a result of the attack.
The woman was described by a friend as a ‘loving and devoted mother’ before adding: “All she ever wanted is a safe home for her beautiful, kind little girls.”
A £20,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to the arrest of Ezedi, who suffered significant facial injuries in the attack. According to the Metropolitan Police, Ezedi could die if his injury remains untreated.
Talking about a potential motive for the attack, Met Police Cdr Jon Savell said: “They were in a relationship and that relationship had broken down.”
Ezedi is not the father of the two young girls involved in the attack.
Ezedi is an Afghan refugee, having arrived in the UK in a lorry in 2016. He had his first two asylum claims turned down before successfully appealing to the Home Office claiming to have converted to Christianity.
The 35-year-old was convicted of two sexual offences in 2018 but avoided deportation as the crimes did not meet the threshold.
