AN activist who led several aid convoys from Bolton to Syria has been arrested on suspicion of having child porn and sexually assaulting a teenager.

Kasim Jameel, aged 33, of Farnworth, was arrested today on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman and possessing an indecent image of a child.

He is now being questioned in police custody.

Mr Jameel has been leading aid convoys to Syria since 2012.

He embarked on a 4,000 mile journey to the war-torn country in December in a convoy of 20 vehicles.

The convoy transported life-saving medical equipment to a hospital in Idlib, in north-western Syria.

Items sent included defibrillators, stethoscopes and oxygen concentrate.

In March last year he was among volunteers from Bolton who travelled to Syria in ex-NHS vehicles.

Mr Jameel, who runs a car hire and taxi service business, speaking to The Bolton News last year, said: “Each time I go back there (to Syria) it gets worse and there is a desperate need for humanitarian aid.

“They have no shoes, no clothes and hardly any food. They’ve got nothing.”

A police spokesman said: “A man has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation.

“The 33-year-old man was arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman and possessing an indecent image of a child.

“He remains in police custody for questioning. Enquiries are continuing.”


MORE: