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Al-Qaeda Threat in Philadelphia?
ABC Channel 6 Action News - Philadelphia ^ | June 27, 2002 | David Henry

Posted on 06/27/2002 3:53:38 PM PDT by all4one

Al-Qaeda Threat in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia, PA June 27, 2002 — David Henry reports from the Action Newsroom.

An Action News investigation reveals that a chain of jewelry stores operating in the Delaware Valley is being investigated by the FBI for possible connections to the Al Qaeda terror network.

A series of raids were carried out yesterday in Philadelphia and across the state of Pennsylvania.

The stores are mostly kiosks in shopping malls operating under the name "Intrigue Jewelers." They are all owned by Pakistanis under franchise agreements with a company called Gold Concepts, based in Pennsacola, Florida.

Intrigue operates stores at malls in Philadelphia, Plymouth Meeting, Harrisburg, and Monroeville. Until recently, they also had a kiosk at the Lehigh Valley Mall near Allentown. Owners and employees of the Intrigue shops at the Gallery in Center City and at the Plymouth Meeting Mall were questioned yesterday by agents from the FBI and INS. An employee at the shops in the Monroeville Mall tells us he was detained for hours yesterday.

Tariq Hussain says his home was searched and his computer was taken. He says the FBI accused him of funneling money to Ossama bin Laden's terror network. He says they questioned him about a photo he took two years ago of the NASDAQ building in New York, but he doesn't know how they knew about the photo.

The man in the photos taken at the World Trade Center just days before the attacks also worked at the Intrigue Jewelry store at the Lehigh Valley Mall. Two days before the attacks Ashar Iqbal Butt came to a photo shop in the mall looking for the pictures. The clerk says Butt seemed anxious to get them.

He was picked up on September 12th and was later charged with entering the country on a false passport just a month before the attacks.

Action News has confirmed that yesterday's sweep is part of a nationwide investigation involving at least 60 jewelry outlets. The justice department confirms that a number of people have been detained for questioning, but no charges have been filed yet.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: California; US: Delaware; US: Florida; US: New Jersey; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: 20010424; 200108; 20010805; 20010908; 20010912; 20010917; 20020522; 200206; alqaeda; asharbutt; ashariqbalbutt; binladen; bogusmarriage; burtasmar; butt; delawarevalley; fbi; fortlee; gold; goldconcepts; hamzamir; ins; intriguejewelers; jerseycity; lehighvalley; lehighvalleymall; lehman; lehmanbros; lehmanbrothers; losangeles; maxhassan; mir; mobassermahmood; moeenbutt; moeenislambutt; mohammedmir; moneylaundering; nasdaq; njcell; pensacola; phillycell; raids; reconaissance; scouts; september11th; shoppingmalls; sweep; tariqhussain; terrorists; whitehall; wtc; wtcphotos
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To: kcvl; Miss Marple
Munawar Iqbal, Chief of Islamic Banking and Finance

Geezzz this is getting interesting

181 posted on 06/28/2002 9:29:37 PM PDT by Mo1
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To: antidisestablishment; kcvl; backhoe; Miss Marple; Ranger; browardchad; Mo1; Dog; Travis McGee
Here is another thread that has a FloriDuh connection. ( 28 Nabbed by Feds at Fort Worth site Some may have ties to extremist group )

This airline is owned and operated out of Floriduh!

182 posted on 06/29/2002 9:00:35 AM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: Dixie Mom
VP: Munawar Iqbal
Do a Google on that guy's name. BIZARRE. .

Appearantly he is an expert on banking, and finance (if it's the same guy). That must come in handy for a money laundering operation.


183 posted on 06/29/2002 9:10:19 AM PDT by Clovis_Skeptic
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To: Miss Marple; Mo1
Look what kcvl found starting in 173 on....
184 posted on 06/29/2002 10:10:15 AM PDT by Dog
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To: Clovis_Skeptic
Appearantly he is an expert on banking, and finance (if it's the same guy).

Make that Islamic banking and finance. I couldn't find anything specific that would indicate they are one and the same. At the very least, it's an interesting coincidence!

185 posted on 06/29/2002 11:55:32 AM PDT by Dixie Mom
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To: Dixie Mom
I saw the same stuff the other day, but with nothing to tie it together. Many Muslim names are similar since they often choose them from holy men or martyrs. I am still not sold that it's the same man, but it is interesting.

186 posted on 06/29/2002 8:44:52 PM PDT by antidisestablishment
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To: tutstar
Bring the explosives in as fake shipments, position them around the mall maybe in bathrooms or some other inconscipuous place with the bombs on timers and "no more mall". Since they are merchants in the mall they would not be likely to raise suspicion of mall security.

This is exactly what I was thinking when I first heard of this. These little jewelry places are in malls all over the country, and most are ran by Middle eastern types!

187 posted on 06/29/2002 11:07:15 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: Miss Marple
In California, and I am just learning of this. I know we have middle easterners with the little jewelry outlets in the malls here in my area, and I am going to see what I can find out.
Already had a bad feeling about one of them in a mall visit a few weeks ago, now I think I understand why.
188 posted on 06/29/2002 11:11:18 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: Brad's Gramma
It seems one article said Intrique and other names. I took that to mean they may be operating under different names in different malls, but I am just asuming based on what I read.
189 posted on 06/29/2002 11:22:51 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: antidisestablishment
Your memory about the thread on Osamas bloody diamonds just is chilling in light of this information. WOW!
Says right there that he is dealing in diamonds and gold etc.
They are going to destroy our economy while making millions for their terrorist activities if we can't stop them.
190 posted on 06/29/2002 11:25:54 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: Dog
OKC stores, very intriguing indeed.
We know that money was sent to bank accounts in OKC by the 911 terrorists.
191 posted on 06/29/2002 11:45:02 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: Joe Driscoll
We have Spencer gifts in Fresno's mall, they are also all over the state of California.
192 posted on 06/29/2002 11:47:03 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: Dog; kcvl; Grampa Dave; Dixie Mom; antidisestablishment; ladyinred; Miss Marple
Antidisestablishment's post #60 is probably a good example of how these people change names, forge passports and probably reverse and intentionally and unintentionally misspell first and last names to avoid tracing.

That said, it seems that Iqbal is a popular name in the Pakistani jewelry business.

Munawar Iqbal, (I doubt it's the Islamic economist) also incorporated at least three extant corporations in Texas, at 12703 Veterans Memorial Drive, Ste 105, Houston.

The corporation names: Sana Business Corporation, Faisal Corporation and Hamra Business Inc.

There are numerous other Iqbal's listed as registered agents for various corporate entitities in Texas, the most interesting of which is Goldman of Louisville, Inc., using the fictitious name of Intrigue Jewelers, Inc. This was registered to Shahid Iqbal, 7400 North Star Mall, San Antonio in August 1999, and forfeited existence in March 2002.

So it appears the Iqbals are involved in both Gold Concept and Intrigue.

62 Texas corporations have been registered by persons with the last name of Iqbal.

Arif Rajan has an existent corporation, Gold Concept, Inc. (filed in Florida as Gold Concept, Inc. of Texas) registered in Texas in August 1993. Rajan's mailing address is listed as 3601 N. Bicentennial #88, McAllen, Texas, and the physical address of the corporation is listed as 7041 Grand National Drive, Orlando. (Interesting, since Gold Concept was listed as a "Foreign Corporation" in the State of Florida, at that address, and as a "Domestic Business" in Texas, using the Florida address.) Gulzar Rajan is listed as both President and Director.

Gold Concept, Inc. also went into tax forfeiture in August 1995, but was re-instated in July 1996.

Arif Rajan

was also the registered agent for two other extant Texas corporations: Houston Oncor Enterprises Inc. (July 1993 to August 1995), Oro Valle, Inc. (October 1991 to August 1996).

19 entities registered with the Florida Dept of Corporations are currently using the fictitious names of Intrigue, Intrigue Jewelers, Intrigue Jewelry, and Intrigue Fine Jewelers. All are registered to individuals and/or officers with Pakistani names.

The only currently active corporation registered to Munawar Iqbal is Unique Imports of Tampa, Inc., and Iqbal is listed at a Brandon, FL address. Munawar is also registered to use the fictitious name Intrigue Jewelers at the West Oaks Mall in Ocoee, FL

Corporations using Intrigue as a fictitious name in Florida include Akram & Sons Enterprises, Golden Hues, IFZ Enterprises, MAF Management, Meher Jewelers, Naheed Enterprises of Minnesota, New Concepts of Jewelry, 1478847 Ontario Inc., Qazi, Inc., Royal Concept of Jewelry, Sam's Golf & Diamond of Chamblee, Georgia, S3B Enterprises and Verizon Jewelry.

Qazi, Inc. is the only Pensacola corporation using the Intrigue name, and I can't find any links between Qazi and Gold Concept(s).

I have a feeling that corporate record searches of other states will turn up the same types of info -- I guess you could say this is a huge web of "Intrigue."

193 posted on 07/01/2002 9:55:39 PM PDT by browardchad
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To: Dog; Shermy; Travis McGee; Clovis_Skeptic; seamole; Squantos; Ernest_at_the_Beach
Maybe they were honoring this as Qaeda thug, Mohammed Mir, by using his name. That would be a clear code to al Qaeda thug visiting this country re what stores to go to for some clean freshly laundered money.
194 posted on 07/01/2002 10:02:19 PM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: Clovis_Skeptic
This is kinda of interesting, I have a few MDS with the last name of Iqbal. They were all Iranians and different than most Iranians here who hate the Islamic Mullahs.

195 posted on 07/01/2002 10:05:02 PM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: browardchad; Travis McGee; Clovis_Skeptic; Squantos; ladyinred; Miss Marple; Shermy; ...
BC, I hope that the FBI and our treasury people are as thorough as you have been here. This is some excellent followup.

Travis and some of us have joked in other "investigations" by Freepers, the FBI might be wise to have a couple of people just monitoring FR to see what we dig up.

A couple of us were recently told that our investigative reports on FR on the weird and probable criminal behavior of Gray Davis's energy buddies has been noted by Wall Street and enabled more Wall Street research to be done on the Rat Creeps in Kali land. So inspite of Davis and the Rat's control of the mediots in Kali, Wall Street re the energy crisis, knows whom to blame.
196 posted on 07/01/2002 10:14:20 PM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: antidisestablishment
Folks please take time to read ad's reply #60, (incredible reality in this whole "Intrigue Mess")

antidisestablishment what an incredible find this was. This is reality of 9/11, pre 9/11 and post 9/11 staring us right in the face from the "Intrigue Mess"!

197 posted on 07/01/2002 10:28:57 PM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: browardchad
Thank you for all the informaiton! Remind me NEVER to try and hide from YOU! lol!
198 posted on 07/02/2002 1:07:51 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: browardchad
Try this web-site... Don't jump when the sound starts! lol.
199 posted on 07/02/2002 1:19:44 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: browardchad
Name: FAZALUR R. QAZI
Email: fqazi001@aol.com
Address:4909 SYCAMORE TERR. #6,LA. CA 90042
Qazi Town, Dalazak Road Peshawar, NWFP , Pakistan

Gemstone Mining operation in Pakistan and Distribution team here in
U.S.We primarily deal in wholesale, in Emreld(both swat and
Panjsher) , rubies(Panjsher),
Aquamarine(chatral,Afghani)),T opaz(Katlang mine), Peridot (
Kashmir), Tourmaline etc...have been in bussiness since 1971....our
venture in US has recently being started, our primary distributors
here are GBA Ltd ( N.Y) , Thot Gems( Virginia), in addition we have
some gem loving friends all over US who help us too in marketting
our rough gems.


200 posted on 07/02/2002 1:23:50 AM PDT by kcvl
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