UK Cafe Owner Claims Police Tried to Recruit Him to Spy on Pro-Palestine Activists

A cafe owner in Manchester has claimed British police attempted to recruit him as an informant within a pro-Palestinian activist network, offering financial incentives and leniency over minor offenses in exchange for information.

Shams Sadiq, who owns two cafes in Manchester, said the alleged approach took place after he visited Ashton-under-Lyne police station in May to recover electronic devices seized during an earlier arrest connected to alleged offenses linked to Palestine Action.

Palestine Action has been designated a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK, though Sadiq said he has not been charged in relation to his arrest.

According to Sadiq, two officers he believes were linked to Operation Wildflower, a Greater Manchester Police initiative focused on activism-related concerns, approached him privately at the station and suggested they speak “man to man.”

The 51-year-old said officers informed him they had reviewed his devices and were aware of his involvement with Palestine Action-related activities but indicated no charges would follow.

Sadiq alleged the officers then encouraged him to cooperate with police.

“They said to me: ‘We need your help. Look, there’s benefits in helping us,’” Sadiq told The Guardian.

He said the officers referred to both financial and other advantages, allegedly implying they could overlook certain low-level matters.

“I asked what kind of benefits,” Sadiq said. “Financial benefits? Are you going to pay my taxes? They said they could help with things like that.”

He also claimed officers suggested they could “turn a blind eye” to some minor issues, though not serious crimes.

Sadiq said he jokingly asked whether they could erase his speeding tickets, to which he says they replied that speeding was not their concern.

He further alleged police mentioned his standing within Manchester’s Muslim community and implied he could help identify individuals holding extremist views.

The incident followed a separate encounter at Manchester Airport days earlier, when Sadiq was questioned under Schedule Seven of the Terrorism Act after returning from Morocco. He said he was detained for more than three hours without arrest and questioned about Palestine Action, Iran and his financial circumstances. His electronic devices were temporarily confiscated.

Sadiq, who openly supports Palestinian causes and has participated in rallies and printed material for related campaigns, said he decided to speak publicly out of concern for his own safety.

“I feel like I need protection from the police rather than anything else,” he said. “If they’ve got something on me, then charge me.”

His solicitor, Simon Pook of Robert Lizar Solicitors, said formal representations were being made to Greater Manchester Police. Pook questioned whether anti-terror powers had been used appropriately, describing the alleged conduct as troubling and raising concerns about the use of police authority in activism-related cases.