Washington - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested six more suspects of Pakistani origin from Maryland on charges of money laundering. On Thursday, 11 suspects were arrested in Maryland, including nine illegal immigrants from Pakistan. On the same day, US federal officials had indicted 39 people, including some Pakistani operators of convenience stores in Eastern Shore communities, the Dawn reported. Saifullah Ranjha, one of the defendants, was also charged with attempting to finance the al Qaeda.
Commenting on the arrests, Pakistan's Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani said that he did not know the details of this particular case, but similar cases in the past has shown that "American officials were often too zealous." Durrani further said that in many cases either the charges brought against the suspects were difficult to prove or the suspects were released or offered plea bargains.
Meanwhile, Spanish officials said on that acting on tips received from the FBI, they had arrested two Pakistanis from Madrid and Barcelona. According to police, Anar Muhammad Shan and Mehmood Sandhu, who are members of a terror group, have allegedly collaborated with their accomplices in the US to transfer money to alleged al Qaeda men in Pakistan. The FBI, however, has claimed that no such money transaction took place.
These arrests have stunned Pakistani-Americans, as they fear that it would further strengthen the negative stereotyping of their community in this country. "People are scared. It will have a very negative impact on the entire community," said Munir Ahmad, a member of the Maryland Muslim Council. "People say that they were licensed money dealers and apparently law-abiding citizens. We don't know what happened," Munir Ahmad added.
Pakistani-Americans are so sacred that even during Ramzan, they are not giving money charities to mosques, Irfan Malik, of the National Association of Pakistani-Americans who also lives in Maryland, said. "There are many people who must have gone to the stores and gas stations run by the suspects. Now they fear that the FBI may knock at their doors," Malik said. After 9/11, in some people were arrested "just for standing near a suspect," he added.
According to reports, 45 suspects have been arrested so far in this sting operation in North America and Europe. "Federal prosecutors are seeking $5.1 million in criminal forfeitures and ownership interest in two convenience stores located in Snow Hill, which belonged to a Pakistani," the daily reported.
Federal prosecutors have identified one suspect as Mohammed Ahsan, a 49-year old Pakistani-American who lives in a Washington suburb Laurel. As per the US officials, Ahsan was involved in laundering 520,000 dollars through his home in 2005 and 2006, believing he was helping drug dealers move their illicit money out of the United States.
Thank you Oorang for that update.
Let me drop in the older press release for archives.
http://baltimore.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel07/ba092007.htm
“OPERATION CASH-OUT CHARGES 45 DEFENDANTS IN INTERNATIONAL
MONEY LAUNDERING AND BRIBERY SCHEMES”
“Investigation by ICE, FBI, and IRS, along with State, Local and International Agencies, Results in Four Indictments Seeking Forfeiture of Over $5 Million”