London ( CNN ) -- Three men were found guilty of plotting a terror attack they hoped would be bigger than the July 7 , 2005 , bombings that rocked London , UK prosecutors said Thursday . Ashik Ali , Ifran Khalid and Ifran Naseer , all from Birmingham , England , were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court on 12 counts of committing acts in preparation for a terrorist attack . The three men planned to set off up to eight backpack bombs in crowded areas , and had traveled to a terror training camp in Pakistan for expert training and preparation , the court heard during a 14-week trial . `` Had they not been stopped , the consequences would have been catastrophic , '' said Karen Jones , a specialist counter-terrorism prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service . `` These men had dangerous aspirations . '' While their precise targets remained unclear , `` the potential for damage and loss of life from their plot should not be underestimated , '' Jones added . `` The evidence we put to the court showed the defendants discussing with awe and admiration the attacks of 9/11 and 7/7 . These terrorists wanted to do something bigger , speaking of how 7/7 had 'gone a bit wrong . ' '' West Midlands Police said Naseer , 31 , talked of `` spilling so much blood you 'll have nightmares for the rest of your lives . '' The three men posed as bogus charity collectors within their local community to raise money to fund their plans , the police statement said . Naseer was also found guilty of helping four younger men travel to the terror training camp after he , Khalid and Ali , both 27 , returned from Pakistan , it said . `` The link to training camps demonstrates the international dimension of the threat we continue to face , '' said West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale . `` The numbers involved in terrorism are small but the potential impact they could have if successful is huge . '' The men are due to be sentenced later this year . The judge told them all to expect life sentences with substantial minimum terms , the police statement said . The July 7 , 2005 bombings in London , which targeted buses and the subway , killed 52 people and injured more than 700 . CNN 's Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report .
NEW : The 3 men planned to plant backpack bombs in crowded areas , the court says . NEW : They traveled to Pakistan to attend a terror training camp . Ashik Ali , Ali Khalid and Mohammed Khalid wanted to carry out a big attack , prosecutors say . ` ` These men had dangerous aspirations , '' says prosecutor Karen Jones .