[Smokin' Joe]

Look, folks, we may be looking at this the wrong way. Generally, everyone is assuming they want the phones for the electronics, to use them as a detonator.

I guess the question is one of if there is an explosive or toxic chemical (think WMDs) that can be made with the batteries?

Most accounts have them taking the phones apart, and you would think they would keep them intact.

[Captiva]

Has anyone seen Paul Harvey lately? Hmmm....

[cookcounty]

Maybe they ship the chopped chips to Iraq???

[PA Engineer]

Two Men Try To Buy Multiple Cell Phones In Ithaca (Michigan)

[TomGuy]

Attempts at large purchases have been going on a while. Reports in CA, NM, TX, TN, MI.

From last fall:

FBI Investigates Cell Phone Purchase ($60,000 worth of prepaid cell phones)
	Posted by LurkedLongEnough On News/Activism 11/04/2005 4:58:25 PM CST · 75 replies · 2,676+ views NBC.com - Dallas/Fort Worth ^ | October 31, 2005 | NBC5 DALLAS -- A Target store employee alerted Dallas police to a recent extraordinary cellular telephone equipment purchase. A man bought $60,000 worth of hard-to-trace prepaid cell phones. The size of the purchase raised suspicions among police investigators, who turned over the case to the FBI. "Those notifications are taken seriously," former FBI agent Danny Defenbaugh said. "Anytime a business or private citizen sees that type of activity, they need to go the extra step and notify law enforcement." The large purchase caused investigators to look toward possible homeland security threats. On two occasions during October, a man of Middle Eastern...

[Blogger]

Created from the places on this thread.

[jellybean]

I've started a map at Frappr.com to track the TracPhone purchases/arrests...http://www.frappr.com/tracphonepurchaces I've only added a few places so far.

I have to work in the morning, so I'm off to bed. Will add more tomorrow.

[hocndoc]

What I'd like to know is whether there are incidents where people are buying the other parts of explosive devices.

[sheikdetailfeather]

I just heard on MSNBC that a large purchase of cellphones in MICHIGAN jut occurred. The FBI is investigating. Not sure what city it was.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Police: Teens had White House radios 2nd-degree theft charges for 2 boys in Bettendorf [Iowa]

[Blogger]

This one is a little more readable

[Sue Perkick]

Ping

Thought you might be interested. :)

[SamAdams76]

I purchased a cellphone this week in Nashua, NH. (It's a birthday present for my wife). So please put me on the map.

[Vinnie]

Any cell phone can be tracked to the cell tower it is near, whether the phone is being used or not. As long as it's turned on its whereabouts is known to the radius of the cell tower signal.
After all, how would your call be routed to you unless a computerized system was tracking your phone?

These prepaid trac phones are anonymous. There are no personal identifiers attached to the phone.
That is what makes them so attractive to criminals and terrorists. So, while a trac phone can be tracked to about a 2 mile radius, WHO is using the phone remains a mystery.

With that said, wasn't it mentioned that the chip inside the phone could be used separately to detonate a device?

I think some of the phones are being dismantled for the chip and possibly shipped abroad. While other phones are being used for anonymous communication.

[eleni121]

Don't these dumb demented Muzzies realize the raging America warrior spirit that will be unleashed if one more attack happens???

[VOA]

I don't know if this helps any...
but like the post linked below, I noticed that the west-side Wal-Mart
in Columbia, MO seems to usually have very few TracPhones in stock...
while they seemed to have a big number on hand in spring-time.
I don't know if this is just do to legitimate sales or if WalMart here
just puts fewer out on the shelf to deter bulk-buying.

Note post number 51 about Altus, OK at linked thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1683376/posts?page=48

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Cell phones are not detonators... however even if they are what are they purchasing to detonate.

[Samwise]

Thanks for the thread. Here's a link for Tucson.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1683739/posts

You may have it, but I couldn't find it.

[PA Engineer]

Here is another one.

Law enforcement sources confirm to News 4 that Tucson Police have issued an "attempt to locate" on two Middle Eastern men in their 20's who purchased nearly 50 phones from Sam's Club and Wal-Mart in Tucson.

Tucson authorities looking for 2 Middle Eastern men

[commonguymd]

self ping