Man’s £250k deep-sea quest for Osama bin Laden’s body

A man has invested a fortune in a diving mission to find Osama bin Laden’s body and prove to the world that the al-Qaeda terrorist is really dead.

Professional treasure diver Bill Warren from San Diego, California, will spend next month exploring the depths of the north Arabian Sea for the watery remains of the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks.

Using sophisticated technology, rented diving boats and a submarine, estimated at a cost of $400k (£250k), Mr Warren and his team hope to track down the body of bin Laden.

His team is expected to set off from Western India.

[Feature: Osama bin Laden conspiracy theories]

The eccentric 59-year-old told The New York Post why he had launched the costly expedition – reportedly funded by investors based in Chicago, Scotland and New York.

Speaking with Yahoo! News, Mr Warren said: "I am doing this because myself and much of the world do not totally believe Obama's story that Bin Laden is dead. There are no photos, no DNA and no video. I am a patriotic citizen and an expert in sea searches."

Mr Warren also added: “I have a Russian girlfriend, and she tells me that over there, in intelligence circles, they don't believe bin Laden's really dead. I do not trust my government or Obama.”

“The Obama administration should have released the photo, like we did with Billy the Kid, or Dillinger, or even Saddam Hussein.”

Talking about the challenge that lay ahead of him, Mr Warren plans to use high-tech side scan sonar which was used to find the Titanic.

Mr Warren believes he has a 50/50 chance of finding him

US Navy Seals killed the world’s most-wanted terrorist at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May.

[Gallery: Bin Laden's death in photos]

According to The White House, bin Laden was buried at sea from the USS Carl Vinson.

The US Government maintains that photographic evidence does exist. However, top-secret images of his corpse have only been seen by a select few politicians.

If Mr Warren manages to locate the body, he is set to carry out a DNA test onboard and deliver his own photographic evidence.