Lesley Hixon looks at the covert police operation which led to the capture of Tariq Darwish, jailed yesterday for seven-and-a-half years for hiring a hit-man to murder his ex-wife.

Tariq Darwish was brought to justice after one of the most complex undercover operations ever carried out by Worthing detectives.

Rather than arrest Darwish immediately, officers concocted an elaborate trap which would prevent the murder of Wafaa Darwish and provide enough evidence for a conviction.

Yesterday, the jury at Inner London Crown Court found Darwish, 41, formerly of Herbert Road, Sompting, guilty of soliciting to murder his ex-wife last November.

Detectives were alerted to Darwish's murder plot by Mahwoud Zahiri, who had been offered money and jewellery in return for murdering Wafaa.

Acting as a police informant, Mr Zahiri set up the meetings between Darwish and the undercover officer, known only as Mark.

Wafaa was put under 24-hour surveillance but was kept in the dark about the murder plot until the killing was due to take place.

Officers then snatched the woman and her two young children off the street and put them into a safe house.

It had been crucial Darwish believed the undercover officer was a legitimate contract killer.

Despite Mark's expertise, Darwish was suspicious and quizzed Mr Zahiri about him and whether he might be a police officer.

Mr Zahiri convinced him Mark could be trusted and Darwish openly requested the officer "got rid of his wife".

Despite his cold-blooded behaviour, Darwish does not have the personality profile of the average killer.

A non-smoking, non-drinking Muslim and devoted father, he has no previous convictions or cautions.

But faced with a custody battle over his son, now five, and six-year-old daughter, he preferred to have his wife dead than lose his children.

Darwish was born in Kuwait but moved to Sussex in 1976, where he studied English and electronic technology at Worthing College.

It was here he met Mahwoud Zahiri, also known as Tom, the man he would one day offer £10,000 to kill his wife.

Mr Zahiri, originally from Jordan, already had a reputation as a hard man. He could handle a gun and was a karate expert.

Darwish's marriage to Wafaa in 1993 was arranged by his eldest brother after just one meeting.

The couple moved to Lancing in West Sussex but quickly started to have problems.

The relationship became violent and Darwish secured a court order against his wife who, he said, had lashed out at him and his children.

The police and the courts had both been involved when, in 1998, Wafaa and the children moved back to Kuwait.

Darwish immediately began trying to sell their house and possessions and, when Wafaa returned in 1999, she immediately started divorce proceedings.

Wafaa won temporary custody of their children and Darwish turned to Mr Zahiri for support. He was also going through a difficult divorce.

In October 1999, Darwish asked Mr Zahir to kill his ex-wife and make it look like a theft or burglary that had gone wrong.

He gave him £10,000 in cash and said there would be jewellery in the house he could help himself to.

Mr Zahir said: "At first I went along with it but even then I was telling him it was not the right thing to do, that this was crazy.

"He said in Islam, if you split with your wife, you have to kill her."

Mr Zahiri returned the cash but said he could put Darwish in contact with a professional killer.

Instead, he introduced him to Mark, the officer posing as a hit man.

Darwish said he wanted his ex-wife killed before December 1 because this was the date of the court hearing to decide the future of his children.

Detective Inspector Paul Williams, the officer in charge of the operation, said: "The meetings between Mark and Darwish were recorded using hidden audio and video recording equipment. Darwish made it clear he wanted his ex-wife killed and was willing to pay money to have it done."

Mark arranged to meet Darwish at Victoria train station after the killing and present him with proof she was dead. Darwish failed to show but was arrested in Worthing.

Mr Williams said: "I take considerable satisfaction my team had the necessary expertise to plan and successfully execute what was a very challenging operation to ensure Mrs Darwish's life wasn't brought to a premature end."