Posted on 08/08/2006 10:13:27 AM PDT by Ready2go
FBI Interested in Large Prepaid Cell Phone Purchases Posted 8/3/2006 06:06 PM
Store clerks in Grafton say people have been coming into their stores and buying several phones at a time. Story by Sarah Kapis Email | Bio
Folks at the Dollar General in Grafton say in the past few days, several men have come into the store attempting to buy large numbers of prepaid phones. However, store policy only allows a customer to buy two phones at a time, in fact, they are locked away from the general public.
The clerks say after they were in the Dollar General, the men went to the Grafton Walmart to try to purchase more of the phones.
Grafton police found one man during a traffic stop. They say he had hundreds of prepaid phones in his car.
There is no word on what the men planned to do with the phones or why they bought so many, but the incident was later turned over to the FBI for an investigation.
The owner of Country Roads Communications says the allure of the prepaid phones is the freedom that come with them. However, the FBI is not ready to say that the phones are being used for illegal or criminal purposes.
"Prepaids are hard to track, so they're used alot for illegal operations," said Vince Cafazza.
"We are aware that there are a number of purchases throughout the state. Large purchases of trac phones. We are interested in the purchases because they are unusual," said Dan Caldwell, FBI special agent. "We also understand that a number of the larger stores in the area are aware of the purchases. We are not aware of any criminal activity associated with the purchases at this point."
Caldwell says if you notice someone trying to buy large quantities of these type of phones, you can contact your local police or the FBI.
Oh yeah, and the Tygart Dam is nearby. Not the Hoover, by any means, but it could do a nice bit of damage.
"Buy a pre-paid cell phone and make the FBI's "most wanted" list."
I'd rather be safe then sorry...wouldn't you?
Cell phones detonate terror in Middle East
Last summer, Mohammed Oudeh walked into a crowded cafeteria of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and placed a handbag filled with explosives on a table.
He left the building and then detonated the remote-controlled bomb using a cell phone. Nine people were killed and 85 others were injured in a blast that gutted the cafeteria.
The militant Palestinian organization Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.
Cell-phone triggered remote-controlled bombs are a dangerous development in the arsenal of terrorists. Most of the bomb attacks carried out by Palestinian militants during the 'Intifada' of the past two years have been suicide attacks in which the bomber detonates explosives carried or strapped to his or her body. By rigging a cell phone to function as a trigger, the bomber can detonate his device safely from a distance.
Cell phones have been implicated in other attacks in Israel. A 2001 attack against an ultra-Orthodox elementary school in the Mea She'arim neighbourhood of Jerusalem was thwarted when the bomb was discovered in a nearby dumpster. A local resident defused the bomb, which was attached to a cell-phone detonator.
The previous month, a cell-phone triggered pipe bomb exploded on a Tel Aviv bus, wounding 14 Israelis. The 'mega bomb' intercepted on the eve of the Jewish New Year in September 2002 consisted of 1300 pounds of explosives, two barrels of gasoline laced with shrapnel, and a cell-phone detonator.
Israel has also made use of cell phone technology in its campaign against Palestinian militants. Israel's internal security service is alleged to have assassinated Palestinian bomb-maker Yahya Ayyash, aka "The Engineer", with an exploding cell phone in 1996.
http://www.seeingisbelieving.ca/cell/israel/
Did I say they should be outlawed? No. However, I think it SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI.
My first thought was ebay.
"I have to ask...any mention, in the local WVA news of the ethnicity of the strangers? Just curious, as there are some 11 or so Egyptian 'students' currently unaccounted for."
The thought crossed my mind too. :)
Are we monitoring the beehives?
These phones are also very popular with drug dealers.
"My first thought was ebay."
In normal times that would be my first thought too, but sadly we aren't in carefree days...we need to be on our toes. Awake & alert.
Hey then its NYS fair time.
This is graphic information that Americans need to know, and be informed of, for many do not understand the crucial business in which we are involved. Any man with hundreds of prepaid cell phones in his vehicle should be arrested and investigated immediately for potential terrorist connections.
Its the same with nitrate fertilizers, bulk purchases need to be very carefully monitored, and farmers need to secure their bulk supplies they have at heir farme. Two barrels of nitrates , deisel oil, a stick of dynamite, an electric fuse made from cheap components , wire and and two prepaid cell phones are all that is necessary for a tragdy of huge proportions.
I think someone has a problem with Authority. ;)
Well, yes. One does wonder about such things. Although it has to be noted that there are other possible explanations as well (criminal, mostly) that aren't necessarily terror-related.
Lets hope that the Grafton WalMart has security camera films that the Feds can review (and that they are doing so right now). Also, hope they have interviewed all of the store personnel involved to maybe get some kind of description of the would be purchasers. I would hazard to guess that a person with an accent would be memorable in that area. Please keep us posted on the local news, Mrs. R.
Our county Republican party bought a bunch of prepaid phones to use for phone banking in the last election because it was cheaper than having 20 phone lines turned on for the short time of the election cycle. There are legitimate reasons for buying lots of phones. Having said that, I don't mind the FBI checking it out. If it is legit, fine. If not, hang 'em.
First, why does the guy have a couple hundred pre-paid cell phones in his car? Do you do that?
Second, why would the local cops decide to call in the FBI?
I suspect that there's a lot more to the story than is being reported here. One is left to wonder whether you've really thought through the potential implications.
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