Business-Class Suspect Caught In Container (Terrorist?)

The Times (UK) ^ | 10-25-2001 | Richard Owen

[blam]

THURSDAY OCTOBER 25 2001

Business-class suspect caught in container

BY RICHARD OWEN IN ROME AND DANIEL MCGRORY

ITALIAN police were investigating last night why a suspected al-Qaeda hijacker would smuggle himself halfway around the world locked inside a shipping container with its own bed and toilet.
The bizarre discovery of an Egyptian carrying a Canadian passport was made on the dockside in Gioia Tauro in southern Italy, where detectives believe they may have foiled another hijacking.

They were questioning Rizik Amid Farid, 43, about his choice of travel and why he was carrying airport maps and airside security passes for Canada, Thailand and Egypt.

Unlike most stowaways they find, Mr Farid was smartly dressed, clean-shaven and rested as he stepped from his makeshift home.

He was, his captors said, “stunned” to be found with a laptop computer, two mobile phones, cameras, a Canadian passport, other identity documents and a certificate saying he is an aircraft mechanic.

Mr Farid was found last week but it was only yesterday that police admitted their curious discovery.

Roberto Di Palma, a prosecutor, said: “He was in possession of documents and apparatus that no ordinary illegal immigrant would have been able to afford. The average illegal immigrant does not have high-tech equipment and airport security passes. The FBI has been alerted to the discovery of Mr Farid.

Like the 19 hijackers that al-Qaeda used on September 11, Mr Farid’s name is not on Interpol’s wanted list.

The successful capture of this suspected hijacker is timely for the Italians after the admission that they had allowed nine Islamic militants to abscond from bail after a legal bungle.

Police said Mr Farid was finding it difficult to explain why he was carrying a return airline ticket from Montreal to Egypt, via Rome. Investigators said that could be an “insurance policy” enabling him to reach Canada by air in case he was discovered on the ship but managed to escape.

The priority now, police said, was to authenticate his identity and discover why he was heading for Canada. Had he not been found during a security check, Mr Farid would have faced another three weeks at sea to reach Toronto.(Looks like more of these guys on the way, huh?)

Mr Farid was discovered during a “technical inspection” of a ship from Port Said that had docked at the container port of Gioia Tauro.

The container in which Mr Farid had been hidden was “very tidy and well appointed”, investigators said. It was furnished with supplies for a long journey and had a bucket which he used as a toilet.

Magistrates said they were considering a charge of “links with international terrorism”, a new offence introduced last week as part of an emergency anti-terrorism package passed by Parliament after the attacks of September 11.

Il Messaggero, the Rome daily, said it was a “reasonable inference” that his intention had been to gain admittance to an airport in Canada and perhaps commandeer an aircraft with the help of accomplices and fly it over the border to the United States.

Michele Filippo Italiano, Mr Farid’s lawyer, denied that. He said Mr Farid lived in Montreal and had Canadian citizenship. “He had fallen out with his brother-in-law in Cairo and feared he would be prevented from leaving Egypt,” he said

[blam]

Eyes and ears open. We are at war.

[Moridin]

bttt

[sockmonkey]

why do I think he's not the only one?

[monkeywrench]

Where's Metalbird1 when ya need him? I remember some time ago, him getting totally flamed for posting about shipping containers and smuggling. They were chinese being smuggled, though.

[Minty]

Send him to Israel. They will have him explaining everything in a minute.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

I knew that there must be a catch to those low Priceline.com fares.

;-)

[riverrunner]

This past summer at a mendards store they found two dead stowaways in a lock and sealed container they had been in there for months. They were very ripe. I guess some just don't get it right.

[goodnesswins]

“He had fallen out with his brother-in-law in Cairo and feared he would be prevented from leaving Egypt,”

Yeah, right....his brother-in-law must have been some tough........

[fuzzthatwuz]

"How the heck do you stand to travel for three weeks in a shipping container with a toilet inside?"

With extreme prejudice?

[piasa]

Wonder if we're inspecting more than 2% of shipping containers lately.

[CancerVictim]

The really scary part is that if he had been discovered in Canada, he would be free to apply for refugee status. There is also a decent chance, even in these times, he would have been released ROR and given a court date. Then even if he had skipped the date and caught later on, he probably would not be deported.

I like the open border to the US, especially for trade purposes, but I couldn't put up much of an argument if those borders went from a floodgate to a trickle.

-CV

[PackerBoy]

Jeez -- What next?

[jmp702]

The average illegal immigrant does not have high-tech equipment

I should say not...

[meyer]

why do I think he's not the only one?

Exactly. I would think that they'll use any and all means possible to get into the country. Perhaps more inspections, or some long-term storage solutions are in order. No more "just in time" delivery.

BTW, Canada is certainly within striking distance of many US cities. Perhaps the big ones on the coast are well protected, but what about smaller big cities like Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburg, or even a large coastal city like Detroit? The fighters are fast, but they can't be everywhere. Where are those AWACS patrolling?

[blam]

"The fighters are fast, but they can't be everywhere. Where are those AWACS patrolling?"

My guess is that they are out of their airplane stage. What next?

[mercy]

This is good news. If they are forced to move around so clandestinly than we may be making some headway. This was obviously a key man on his way to activate a cell. Torture him untill he tells all. I don't care if he dies in pieces. Make the bastard talk.

Also. Note to FBI. Hold all containers at port. Must be opened in presence of Natl. Guard, cops, whatever.

[blam]

"Hold all containers at port. Must be opened in presence of Natl. Guard, cops, whatever."

That's undoable. To many containers. The solution is to go to their house and kill them there.

[willyone]

Here is something to think about that I observed. Three years ago I worked on a US FFG that had been sold to the Egyptians. It was in the process of being turned over to their people. In one incident they were caught digging through burn bags used for classified material. It was our guys fault for not being more careful but it still was not a happy situation. It came close to being a brawl. I also was shown by the Egyptian officer that I was working with a Social Security card that he had. I asked him why he had it and he replied me that all the officers onboard had gone and gotten one. Think about that. These guys all had Social Security cards. Foreign military personnel from a semi hostile country and they have these cards. Ain't it a great country. Dumb but great.