Prison sentence for info stashed in burqa

MANCHESTER, England, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A woman authorities said had contact with terrorists received a two-year prison term for trying to smuggle "a mini encyclopedia of weapons making" into Britain.

Moroccan-born Houria Chentouf, who holds dual British and Dutch citizenship, hid a computer memory stick containing thousands of files useful to terrorists under her burqa, the Daily Mail reported Monday.

Chentouf was arrested in October 2008 after the stick fell out in front of police at Liverpool's John Lennon airport. Authorities say it's unclear what her intentions were, but she had connections with terrorists around the world, including a man jailed for terror offences in Holland.

The court heard testimony that Chentouf, 46, suffers from mental illness brought on by the death of a family member. The judge took this into account when sentencing her, the Mail said.

Although sentenced to two years, Chentouf was released due to time served since her arrest. She must notify police if she wishes to travel abroad in the next five years, the court said.