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A West Midlands man has been arrested on suspicion of plotting to kidnap and kill a woman for renouncing Islam.

Darya Khan Safi, 49, was detained by armed officers at his home in Coventry on Wednesday, September 4 on suspicion of planning to murder a female relative.

A second man, Mohammed Patman, 54, was also arrested at his home in London on the same day as part of a National Crime Agency operation.

It is alleged the pair conspired to murder the 25-year-old woman because she left the UK to live in Austria and renounced Islam.

She was working at a company she ran with her husband in Slovakia when Safi and Patman became wanted by the Slovakian authorities for her alleged murder plot.

Slovakian authorities alerted The National Firearms Threat Centre and the NCA's Armed Operations Unit of the alleged murder plot - sparking an investigation into Patman and Safi last October.

AOU officers undertook surveillance on the two men as they prepared to make multiple trips to Austria and Slovakia where it was believed they watched the intended victim.

They were seen blacking out the windows and swapping the tyres for winter tyres on a vehicle they later used to drive to both countries.





Phone and internet records for the pair were obtained, which officers say show the men discussing the potential murder plot, including planning of events both at home and abroad.



Patman and Safi are being held on European Arrest Warrants and will now face extradition to Slovakia.

They have been remanded in custody until their next appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday, September 12.



NCA Senior Investigating Officer, Matthew Perfect, said: "Patman and Safi were sought by the Slovakian authorities for the extremely serious offence of preparing to commit first degree murder.

“Protecting the British public is a core part of the NCA’s mission and these are two potentially violent individuals who will no longer pose a threat.

“They were arrested as a result of some excellent joint working between the NCA and our partners in Slovakia and throughout Europe. Such strong international cooperation is key in allowing us and our partners to pursue the most dangerous criminals across borders.”