Charged suspect ‘was in Pakistan’ during attacks on Raja, Akbar

A convicted British-Pakistani man charged in connection with attacks on Adil Raja and Shahzad Akbar in Chesham and Cambridge in late December 2025 and January 2026 was in Pakistan and then in Dubai at the time when the attacks took place, sources said.

Asif Afsar, who has been in prison before on separate offences and convictions, appeared at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court along with Liam McGarry and Mark Regan, charged with various counts of attacking Shehzad Akbar and Adil Raja on 24 December 2025 and 31st December 2025, mainly conspiracy to assault and occasion bodily harm on both of them.

A search shows Asif Afsar’s full name as Asaf Hussain Afsar, the company director of Rapid Response Recoveries Ltd, with the same address as confirmed by the police from where he was arrested three days ago.

None of the three applied for bail, and the judge said that he would have denied them bail if an application was made because of the serious nature of the allegations made against them and the fact that Asif Afsar and Mark Regan have been in prison before after conviction. It would be dangerous to bail them.

Sources have told Brackly News that Mark Regan is the father of Louis Regan, the university student charged last week in the same case. A family member in Birmingham told Brackly News on condition of anonymity that Asif Afser was in Pakistan – and later in Dubai – when the attacks took place, and he returned to Birmingham only last week.

“He was in Pakistan to attend a family matter. He has no connections with any government and is not linked with these attacks. Asif Afser came back to the UK in the second week of January 2026,” said the source.

Brackly News understands, through sources, that Asif Afser was in touch with Mark Regan and his son, Louis Regan, prior to the attacks, and their relations date back many years.

“This was a sophisticated and well-funded plan to attack the two victims,” the prosecutor told the court.

The police said that the three men were all arrested on Tuesday, February 3 in connection with the ongoing investigation, which is being led by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London.

Four men were previously charged in connection with the same investigation. They are: Louis Regan, Karl Blackbird, Clark McAulay and Doneto Brammer. They are all accused of attacking Akbar and Raja.

Police say Adil Raja’s home was targeted on 24th of December 2025, but Shahzad Akbar’s home was targeted on 24th December, 31st December and 10th January 2026. Police say they have no idea about the motivation behind these attacks.

Louis Regan, 25, from Birmingham, and Karl Blackbird, 40, from Bedworth, face two charges of conspiracy to commit assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Clark McAulay, 39, from Coventry, faces one charge of conspiracy to commit assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the incident in Chesham.

Doneto Brammer, 21, from Wood Green, north London, faces charges of possession of a prohibited weapon, conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, and conspiracy to commit arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Brammer is accused of a further incident on New Year’s Eve last year.

The seven are remanded into custody ahead of a hearing at the Old Bailey on February 13.