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Locked on 08/10/2006 8:57:35 AM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
Duplicate: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1680977/posts |
Posted on 08/10/2006 8:45:25 AM PDT by WmShirerAdmirer
MARIETTA Two men were charged Wednesday with money laundering in support of terrorism after authorities said they found airplane passenger lists and information on airport security checkpoints in their car.
Deputies stopped Osama Sabhi Abulhassan, 20, and Ali Houssaiky, 20, both of Dearborn, Mich., on a traffic violation Tuesday and found the flight documents along with $11,000 cash and 12 phones in their car, Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said.
It wasn’t clear what significance the airline information might have. Assistant County Prosecutor Susan Vessels declined to comment on whether the manifests were for upcoming flights or those that already flown. She also would not give the origin or destination of the flight or flights.
FBI spokesman Mike Brooks in Cincinnati said his office was notified about the arrests and had an agent investigating.
Abulhassan and Houssaiky admitted buying about 600 phones in recent months at stores in southeast Ohio, said sheriff’s Maj. John Winstanley. The men said they sold the phones to someone in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb, Winstanley said.
Vessels declined to say how the phones, cash or flight information involved terrorism.
Investigators also found in the car a map that showed locations of Wal-Mart stores from Ohio through Kentucky, Tennessee and into North and South Carolina, Vessels said.
“We got them at the beginning of their trip,” she said.
Vessels did not say why the pair headed to southeast Ohio from Dearborn.
Abulhassan and Houssaiky did not speak at a hearing Wednesday in Marietta Municipal Court in which a judge set their bond at $200,000.
This is why we need to be able to torture terrorists.
Clearly these guys are involved in something that is larger.
We'll be keeping an eye on the local mosques. Something is up in a big way. These turds are only the tip of the iceberg.
"Deputies stopped Osama Sabhi Abulhassan, 20, and Ali Houssaiky, 20, both of Dearborn, Mich., on a traffic violation Tuesday and found the flight documents along with $11,000 cash and 12 phones in their car, Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said."
John "Watergate Rat" Dean has already filed a law in their behalf for racial profiling.
Lotta $$ + lists + profile fits + today's news = BOOK'UM DANNO!
Wow. Is anyone from the major media reporting this? The arrest was fortunate—based on a traffic violation and a very attentive street cop.
Surely the men were planning something.
More information on these two and their method:
Pre-paid phones favored by criminals, terrorists
http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new22_810200682028.asp
Pre-paid phones favored by criminals, terrorists
By Paul Kita, pkita@mariettatimes.com
What is a TracFone?
n A pre-paid, disposable mobile telephone that works similar to a telephone booth or calling card. Customers purchase minutes, but are not charged for any additional wireless taxes or fees.
n Sold at over 60,000 retailers nationwide.
n 30 million use TracFones and similar phones in the U.S.
n Basic models start at $20 and include up to 20 minutes of pre-paid minutes.
n On the Net: www.tracfone.com
The bulk purchase of pre-paid phones, like the nine TracFones bought at a local Radio Shack Tuesday by two men now being held on terrorism charges, may be linked to criminal activity.
“These type of phones have always been used by people who want to disguise themselves,” said Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks.
Criminals may prefer to use these phones because their numbers are difficult to trace and when disposed of they usually carry no information of their former user, Mincks said.
Although many people use pre-paid phones for legitimate purposes, historical accounts point to their use in terrorist efforts.
Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden used prepaid minutes on a satellite phone in Afghanistan during the 1990s, assuming it would disguise his communications, according to past court testimony cited by CBS News.
Mincks said his office has heard several reports of the bulk purchase of pre-paid phones throughout Washington County, alerted by retailers who are encouraged to pass along such activities to law officials under recommendation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“In some cases, they’re (the suspects) taking the store’s entire stock,” Mincks said.
He said those purchasing the phones tend to travel in teams of five or six, hitting big-box stores like Wal-Mart and sometimes traveling throughout multiple states.
According to ABC News, six individuals attempted to buy about 60 phones from a Wal-Mart store in Texas on Dec. 18, 2005.
In a separate case, individuals purchased 150 disposable TracFones at a Target in California, according to ABC.
Both cases were reported to law enforcement officials, but a direct connection to terrorist activities was not immediately established.
Radio Shack spokeswoman Wendy Dominguz said it is company policy to only sell three disposable phones to one customer at any time.
“We’re trying to prevent possible fraud or resale,” Dominguz said, adding that the decision was in part determined by a fax the company received by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warning of the possible dangers of bulk sales.
The two men arrested Wednesday, Osama Sabhi Abulhassan, 20, and Ali Houssaiky, 20, both of Dearborn, Mich., admitted to buying more than 600 phones in the Mid-Ohio Valley over the past few weeks, recently making purchases in Barlow, St. Clairsville and Woodsfield.
Maj. John Winstanley said the sheriff’s office has received notices from homeland security warning individuals are purchasing the phones for terror related activity.
“It’s their belief that they send these TracFones overseas, and they use (the chips) against the troops, detonating bombs,” Winstanley said.
Only $200,000?! I think their bond should be set at the cost of 9/11!
Watch list terrorists are going to steal or manufacture ID of legitimate passengers - that's what they're doing with the passenger lists.
"Osama Sabhi Abulhassan", "Ali Houssaiky"
OK, I give up.
Why are the Omish so angry?
F*** bail.
They should be on a plane to Gitmo right now.
These are just "isolated incidents." Nothing to see here, move along. /sarcasm
The police in Chicago think that people who are "clearly involved in crime" should be tortured as well.
Round up everybody in Dearborn. Open the camps!
When I was in Ramadi, these finds would have bought them deluxe accomodations at Abu Ghraib.
$11K in cash, 12 cel phones (betcha they were all one-time disposables) give eleven people untracable reservations with $1000 each for plane tickets, car rentals, etc.
These two guys were ( I speculate) a support team, a mobile cache for the action teams.
AUGUST 22nd...........
PSSSTT.. don't tell anyone, but the info that led to these arrests as well as the British airline plot probably came from Muslims who hates jihadis as much as we do. There are good Muslims, but exposing them would be a death sentence.
Passenger lists? The first question that comes to mind is are these scumbags linked in any way to the bunch rounded up this morning in London. Gee, do you think that tracking their telephone calls might help make that determination?
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