The Metropolitan Police have reported finding a body in the River Thames, believed to be that of Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, a suspect in a chemical attack. Ezedi, 35, was being sought by the police following an assault on a woman and two girls in Clapham on January 31. He was last seen on CCTV near Chelsea Bridge, and it is suspected he entered the water there. The police have not formally identified the body but believe it to be Ezedi due to distinctive clothing and personal items found on the body.
Commander Jon Savell stated, “Based on the distinctive clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack and property found on his body, we strongly believe we have recovered the body of Ezedi.” However, visual identification has not been possible, and further tests including DNA and dental records will be required for confirmation.
The woman attacked in Clapham remains in hospital but is now stable and no longer sedated. The Met received 500 calls with information about Ezedi during the manhunt, which had a £20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Ezedi, originally from Newcastle, is accused of attacking his ex-partner and her two children with a strong alkali in Clapham on January 31. His car was seen in Newcastle shortly after midnight on that day but had travelled almost 300 miles to reach Tooting in south London by 06:30 GMT. It was then spotted in Croydon at 16:30.
Police believe Ezedi, who is thought to have arrived in the UK on a lorry from Afghanistan in 2016, had been in a relationship with the woman he attacked and had arranged to meet her in London. They suggest that their relationship breakdown may have been his motive for the attack. The assault took place inside his car in Lessar Avenue, Clapham, involving a “very strong concentrated corrosive substance”.
