Three more Britons charged in court over plane plot

LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) Three British Muslims were remanded in custody today after being charged in connection with a suspected plot to blow up US-bound airliners.

Mohammed Yasar Gulzar (age unknown), Mohammed Shamin Udin, 35, and Nabeel Hussain, 22, were formally charged at a central London court with conspiracy to murder and planning acts of terrorism by plotting to blow up planes.

The men were among 25 arrested by British anti-terrorism detectives who said on Aug. 10 they had foiled a plan to use homemade liquid explosives to bring down several airliners over the Atlantic on the way from Britain to the United States.

They were remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey criminal court on Sept. 4. An application for bail by lawyers for Hussain was rejected.

Last week eight men were remanded over the most serious charges of conspiracy to murder and plotting to smuggle and detonate bombs on board airliners.

Four others, including a 17-year-old youth and a young mother with an 8-month-old baby, are accused of lesser offences.

Five more, including the baby who was briefly taken into custody with his mother, have been released without charge.

Five people remain in custody who have not so far been charged, but police must decide today whether to charge, free or ask permission to continue holding them.

The three men appeared at today's court hearing wearing white sweatshirts and grey tracksuit trousers. They spoke only to confirm their names and addresses.

All of those arrested in connection with the suspected plot are British Muslims and most are of Pakistani origin.

The alleged plot came to light 13 months after four British Islamist suicide bombers killed themselves and 52 other people at rush hour on public transport in London.

Police said last week they had seized ''martyrdom videos'', an apparent reference to testaments by would-be suicide bombers, as part of a huge probe into the suspected plane plot that included scores of searches of houses, cars and open spaces.

Pakistani authorities have also arrested several people, including two Britons, in connection with the investigation.

REUTERS KR ND1640