MI5 agents dressed in disguise testify in trial of Abid Naseer

A group of MI5 agents, dressed in disguise, testified against Pakistani al-Qaeda suspect Abid Naseer on trial in New York, revealing how they had conducted surveillance of suspected terrorists during Operation Pathway.

According to the Independent, the suspects who were given the names Small Panel, Glass Pendant, Happy Skater and Regional Difference, were covertly watched by MI5 agents over the course of several months in the spring of 2009 as they allegedly planned an operation the security services believed was a threat to national security.

The trial of Naseer, who is accused of plotting to attack the New York subway system and the Manchester's Arndale Shopping Centre, provided an insight into how the spy agency worked at stopping the biggest terrorist network.

The agents told the court how they tracked every single movement of the suspects, which included watching them travelling to a series of locations in Manchester's Cheetham Hill area, including private addresses, an internet cafe and a mosque, the report added.