Ahmad Waqas

According to preliminary investigation on the Gabar group, it would appear that Ahmad Waqas, born on January 1, 1990, in Lalamusa, Pakistan and known with the aliases “Butt”, Sheikh Waqas Ahmed and Waqas Ahmed Sheikh, was one of the closest members to Nadeem Raan, Gabar’s leader. Their camaraderie is corroborated by a photo published by Raan on his profile on May 14, 2018, depicting Waqas and Raan himself together, representing the oldest evidence of ties amongst Gabar members.
The judge’s decree reveals that Waqas was flagged by the French police in 2019 with a “fiche S” because his belonging to a radical religious movement made him a serious threat to French national security, as he was also living illegally on the French territory. Nonetheless, Waqas traveled from France to Fabbrico to attend the meetings of September 2021 and of February 2022, suggesting his allegiance and affiliation to Gabar. Another proof that attests his role within the group is his appearance in several TikTok videos alongside other Gabar members such as Umer Noman, Ali Mohsin, and Akhtan Shoeb, although the most compelling evidence is Waqas’s presence within the Facebook cover page of Gabar.
Therefore, Ahmad Waqas has been investigated for having breached art. 270 bis comma 2 c.p. of the Italian Criminal Code, having promoted an association, Gabar, for the purpose of terrorism. Once arrested in Chiavari, Waqas asked for a shortened proceeding and was put on trial on July 12 and 13, 2023 while the judge’s ruling was scheduled for September 18, 2023. In October 2023, he was sentenced for conspiracy to commit terrorism to four years and six months.