
A man accused of being part of a notorious Islamic State (ISIS) group cell which murdered hostages has been arrested on terror charges in the UK, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
Aine Davis, of west London, flew into Luton airport after his release from a Turkish jail where he was serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for membership of the terror group.
Davis is suspected of being part of the ISIS cell nicknamed “The Beatles” because of its members’ British accents.
During his trial, Davis denied being part of the cell.
The 38-year-old was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command and taken to a police station in south London, according to the BBC.
He was arrested in relation to offenses under the Terrorism Act, 2000, including fundraising and possession of articles for terrorist purposes.
“The Beatles” cell is believed to have been made up of four members who volunteered to fight for ISIS in Syria and ended up guarding Western hostages.
US authorities have said the group killed 27 hostages, beheading several of them.
Alexanda Kotey, a member of “The Beatles”, was sentenced to life in prison in April by a US District Judge.
Kotey had pleaded guilty to taking part in a hostage scheme that led to the deaths of Americans, Japanese and British citizens in Syria.
Kotey and another member of “The Beatles”, El Shafee Elsheikh, were charged in October of 2020 with torture, beheadings and other acts of violence against four Americans and others captured and held hostage in Syria.
The convictions on all eight counts in US District Court in Alexandria revolved around the deaths of four American hostages: American journalist James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.
“The Beatles” are also believed to be behind the beheadings of British aid workers David Haines and Allan Henning, and Japanese hostage Kenji Goto.
Elsheikh was convicted earlier for his role in the hostage-taking scheme.
The group's leader, Mohammed Emwazi who was known as “Jihadi John, was killed in an air strike in 2015 in Syria after an intensive manhunt.