How the ‘hatman’ helped cops unearth SA terror cell

Horticulturalist and BBC presenter Nick Bailey posted this selfie with British couple Rod and Rachel Saunders on February 8. The couple were found dead in a case linked to the Islamic State terror group. File photo.

Image: Nick Bailey via Twitter Horticulturalist and BBC presenter Nick Bailey posted this selfie with British couple Rod and Rachel Saunders on February 8. The couple were found dead in a case linked to the Islamic State terror group. File photo.

Iddy Omari had been dubbed “hatman” by the team of detectives who pursued him, a moniker derived from his silhouetted figure and signature black hat caught on grainy CCTV footage.

Months later, after Omari’s arrest in a counter-terror swoop, the “hatman” would become a key figure in unearthing what the state described as a deeply rooted Islamic State terror cell operating on South African soil.

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