A former Taliban fighter has been sentenced to life in prison in Britain for trying to recruit Muslims to wage jihad, or holy war, in Afghanistan.

A British judge handed Munir Farooqi four life sentences Friday and said he must serve a minimum of nine years before he can be considered for parole.

The judge told the Pakistani-born Farooqi that he is a “very dangerous man, an extremist and a fundamentalist with a determination to fight abroad.”

Farooqi and two other people were arrested after police infiltrated their group in an undercover counterterrorism operation. Prosecutors have said that Farooqi used an Islamic book stand in Manchester in hopes of recruiting people to fight in Afghanistan.

After a trial, Farooqi was convicted on terrorism charges, including soliciting to murder and distributing terrorist publications.