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Suspicious cell phone purchases investigated
Fox 59 News ^ | 8/16/06 | Kimberly King

Posted on 08/16/2006 7:43:31 PM PDT by Samwise

Hartford City, IN — The Indiana Homeland Security department was notified about the cell phone purchases. Two men have been questioned in Hartford City, Indiana.

22-year-old Bilal Muhamed Mustafa and 29-year old Sultan Allah Muhammond came to the Alco discount store looking to buy a particular model Nokia Trac phone in bulk. Terrorism experts say Tracphones can't be traced and are known to be used by terrorists as detenators for bombs.

"Oh I was suspicious," said Alco Store Manager, Kenny Mazelin. " They always said after 9/11 be vigilant with cell phones sales and that we should contact somebody." That's just what store manager Kenny Mazelin did. The men drove a grey Nissan Altima rental down from Minnesota and just recently got Minnesota id's.

"We were told Minnesota cops questioned one of their brothers for the same type of business transaction regarding cell phones," said Detective Eric Hawk, Hartford City Police. Mustafa told police he buys the cell phones and puts a special chip in them that can make them work as prepaid on any cell network. He said he then sells the phones at a small profit.

The two men weren't interested in buying the minutes it takes to activate the phones only the phones themselves at Alco. They wanted as many as they could get and had cash to pay for them. "They told us they'd buy forty if we had 'em," said manager Mazelin."They came in three times, police got here in time to question them the third time."

The men evaded officers questions and didn't want their pictures taken. It's not illegal to buy cell phones in bulk. Neither men were arrested or held for further questioning. Fox 59 reached Bilal Muhamed Mustafa on a cell number he gave police. He hung up. Police say the case remains open.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: cellphone; cellphones; indiana; jihadicellphones; jihadinamerica; nonterroristattack; prepaidcellphones; purchase; sol; solwireless; solwirelessgroup
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To: SiGeek

Remember those two Arab men who boarded the school bus in Florida? School starts in a few weeks. They could be planning on seizing a whole lot of school buses full of children. After all, bin Laden said his next move would strike the heart of America's homes.


21 posted on 08/16/2006 8:11:22 PM PDT by Publius
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To: Samwise

I was down at a local Wal-Mart and they had about 40 of these Tracfones on the rack. The manager of the department said Homeland Security told them to limit sales to two to a person and they couldn't come in later for more. Said they were looking for a particular model. And based on this it has something to do with "unlocking" these phones so they can be used on multiple networks. I'm not an expert on this at all. My wife has a regular cellphone with a contract and I have a Tracfone myself for emergency use. It is a terrific deal at $10 a month.

But I still don't get all of these purchases unless they mean to set off thousands of explosions all over the country at the same time using these cell phones. They are used in IED's. So this would be a real possibility. I'd avoid large crowds for the next few weeks. My question is who are these phones being sold to? Who is "Mr. X?" How does he pay more than they can be purchased over the counter. That's the part I don't get.


22 posted on 08/16/2006 8:11:43 PM PDT by RichardW
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To: Paved Paradise
Mustafa's "friends and family" plan needs to be bigger.

They are on the family, friends and terrorists plan. Can you explode me now.

23 posted on 08/16/2006 8:12:16 PM PDT by A message (We who care, Can Not Fail)
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To: Samwise
Neither men were arrested or held for further questioning.

ME/Mooslim sounding names...same gender and age range of terrorists...very odd purchase of devices that have been used in terrorist attacks...BUT, still not good enough to detain them for our PC sensibilities...how much longer will we suspend common sense?

24 posted on 08/16/2006 8:14:05 PM PDT by SiGeek
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To: SiGeek
saturate the cell towers in the vicinity of whatever "event" they are planning so no one can report what is going on

OK, I'll buy some such as a possibility but you have me chuckling at the concept of a turbaned and bearded guy bent over a table full of cell phones, madly dialing them one by one by one . . .

25 posted on 08/16/2006 8:15:06 PM PDT by JimSEA ( "The purpose of diplomacy is to prolong a crisis." Spock)
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To: Samwise
"Mustafa told police he buys the cell phones and puts a special chip in them that can make them work as prepaid on any cell network. He said he then sells the phones at a small profit. "

Is that stealing time from the cell networks? or how does the network get their money?

26 posted on 08/16/2006 8:16:33 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: weegee

If the terrorist cells are gearing up, there are several ways they could play this...

Untraceable phone communication (disposable phone to disposable phone).

A D-Day "mother of all battles" set of terrorist bombings in one day.

A long series of "lone nut" bombings.

At any rate, you can bet that such phones would become much more scarce in America after a domestic terrorist bombing campaign began. They could very well be stockpiling now for when that day (which may never) comes.



I think you are close to the truth. If I were head of Homeland Security I would shut down the service of these prepaid cellphones and make everyone reregister these phones immediately. I would have to do it too. Would be inconvenient but it would put possible terrorists in a bad way; at least here in the U.S. The regular cell phones already have a dossier on the purchaser/user. The prepaid phones are anonymous. We need to stop that dead in its tracks. No one is being made to buy a contract but we can't them hide behind anonymity with these phones. Let that end.


27 posted on 08/16/2006 8:16:40 PM PDT by RichardW
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To: DannyTN

It means (as best as I can understand it) that a cellphone can be used in any network. If you go to a contract cell phone you will find only certain phones available. This would allow presumably other phones to be used in the network of your choice. They are called "unlocked" cell phones. Do a google and you can read about it. I'm not altogether familiar with it myself but they can be purchased on ebay as well. I just found an ebay listing ending with eight available at $320 each. So there must be a demand for them.


28 posted on 08/16/2006 8:19:57 PM PDT by RichardW
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To: Samwise

Anyone notice a pattern as to WHO Is buying these cell phones?

Dare I say it?


29 posted on 08/16/2006 8:20:28 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God) .)
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To: RichardW

I don't think they have 1000s of people here, willing to die for their cause. If they plan a mass bombing they will have to plant devices.


30 posted on 08/16/2006 8:22:40 PM PDT by CindyDawg
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To: Post-Neolithic
Here's another cell phone story. Happened in Danville, VA.

http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0806/352730.html

31 posted on 08/16/2006 8:28:49 PM PDT by I want to know
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To: RichardW

They might be shipping them overseas for use in Iraq...


32 posted on 08/16/2006 8:28:51 PM PDT by Experiment 6-2-6 (Admn Mods: tiny, malicious things that glare and gibber from dark corners.They have pins and dolls..)
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To: Publius
Remember those two Arab men who boarded the school bus in Florida? School starts in a few weeks. They could be planning on seizing a whole lot of school buses full of children. After all, bin Laden said his next move would strike the heart of America's homes.

I was just thinking today about terrorists hitting American schools. The terrorists did that in Russia, didn't they?

God, I hope nothing like that happens in the U.S.
33 posted on 08/16/2006 8:28:57 PM PDT by Ticonderoga34
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To: RichardW

I think this may explain these "unlocked" cell phones. And I might add that a relative just bought a prepaid cell phone and my caller ID doesn't identify him as it does his home land line or his regular cell phone that his wife carries. This leads me to believe that terrorists would have a real advantage in getting unlocked prepaid phones as they couldn't be traced to the user. I think. And they could simply discard the phone after using it. This would be doubly safe if they were up to no good.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-unlocked-cell-phones.htm


34 posted on 08/16/2006 8:31:43 PM PDT by RichardW
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To: Samwise

Hey! I have an idea: let's racially profile ALL of the ME males presently here in the USA who have as one of their many names "Mohammud" and its manifold spellings, round them up, investigate them, and see what we come up with.

That would surely be much more efficient than delaying non-ME airline travellers for 3+ hours in the airports of the USA who would never think of being followers of the prophet of death, destruction, and pederasty.

This whole thing makes me sick. AMERIKA ERWACHT! The Islamonazis are here and their defenders call themselves liberals and democrats!


35 posted on 08/16/2006 8:33:10 PM PDT by 43north (7 of 11 living things are insects. This explains liberals.)
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To: Samwise
There have been so many of these incidents lately...they know they are being tracked...could it be a planned diversion?
36 posted on 08/16/2006 8:33:45 PM PDT by TankerKC (Step Back! Doors Closing.)
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To: RichardW

Interesting. So if I understand it right, they aren't stealing air time. It looks like they still buy the Sim card to get the minutes, but the phone will work with Sim cards from any network, making it more versatile.

So there could be a legitimate business model, unlocking the cell phones and selling them for more than they were originally worth.

But then why are the middle easterners all over this?

Muslims and middle easterners should have a 7 day waiting period to buy a cell phone.


37 posted on 08/16/2006 8:33:55 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: weegee
2 men from the Republic of Georgia were stopped in Pennsylvania (with Michigan driver's licenses, $4.2k, 40 phones, an empty van, and a laptop with GPS tracking software).

Isn't that very close to Chechnya? and Turkey? and Armenia? and other muslim countries? hmmmm

38 posted on 08/16/2006 8:36:05 PM PDT by scan58
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To: RichardW

Obviously these people want to stay below the radar. Ebay requires you have an account to pay and a shipping address.


39 posted on 08/16/2006 8:38:20 PM PDT by TheLion
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To: Samwise

Interesting that they were all middle eastern types. Wonder if the police made a determination if any were illegal aliens....or is that too much to ask?


40 posted on 08/16/2006 8:45:11 PM PDT by TheLion
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