Two Dearborn, MI men are being held in Marietta, Ohio on charges of money laundering to assist terrorists:
Twenty-year olds Ali Howssaiky and Osama Abulhassan are facing charges of money laundering to aid terrorism. This comes after a traffic stop Tuesday led police to thousands of dollars in cash, several disposable cell phones and instructions of how to obtain private flight information. Police also found a list of flight passengers in the car.
"It also had information about airport checkpoints, and what would be accomplished there, so this is a little bit unusual," Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks says.Sheriff Mincks also says the disposable cell phones are especially important, because it appears their final destination was supposed to be overseas.
"They are digital and can be used to detonate car bombs," he says.
According to Reuters, they were laundering money to help Hezbollah.
And about the Tracphones, remember this?
Jan. 12, 2006 -- Federal agents have launched an investigation into a surge in the purchase of large quantities of disposable cell phones by individuals from the Middle East and Pakistan, ABC News has learned.
The phones -- which do not require purchasers to sign a contract or have a credit card -- have many legitimate uses, and are popular with people who have bad credit or for use as emergency phones tucked away in glove compartments or tackle boxes. But since they can be difficult or impossible to track, law enforcement officials say the phones are widely used by criminal gangs and terrorists."There's very little audit trail assigned to this phone. One can walk in, purchase it in cash, you don't have to put down a credit card, buy any amount of minutes to it, and you don't, frankly, know who bought this," said Jack Cloonan, a former FBI official who is now an ABC News consultant.
Law enforcement officials say the phones were used to detonate the bombs terrorists used in the Madrid train attacks in March 2004.
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War On Terror
Comments (5)
If these terrorist cells ar... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Jumpinjoe | August 11, 2006 8:57 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
If these terrorist cells are sprouting up in Dearborn-a-stan, you would think the loyal American Muslims living in this community of peace would get drift of it and report it to authorities.
I’m just thinking you know, and by no means stereotyping or actually looking for common dominators. (wink)
1. Posted by Jumpinjoe | August 11, 2006 8:57 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 11, 2006 08:57
2. Posted by jpm100 | August 11, 2006 9:04 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The local media here in Michigan is saying 'several' cell phones were hundreds.
2. Posted by jpm100 | August 11, 2006 9:04 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 11, 2006 09:04
3. Posted by krazy kagu | August 11, 2006 9:59 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Money luandering for the hezbolla terrorists wow i mean thats how they still get money for their crimes i say lock em up and throw away the key SQUAWK SQUAWK
3. Posted by krazy kagu | August 11, 2006 9:59 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 11, 2006 09:59
4. Posted by koplese | August 12, 2006 4:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
get a grip. everything is a terror plot with you people. these guys were trying to make money for themselves. jeez, can we say - paranoia.
4. Posted by koplese | August 12, 2006 4:02 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 12, 2006 16:02
5. Posted by epador | August 12, 2006 7:22 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
koplese:
Check out smitty's link in the next Trakphone posting above.
And 'splain it to me one more time how this could not possibly be part of a terror plot and also why we are supposed to believe the word of folks who are arrested for illegal activities?
I expect a lot of things are planned to go Boom in the next two weeks and we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.
5. Posted by epador | August 12, 2006 7:22 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 12, 2006 19:22