Al-Qaeda Threat in Philadelphia?

ABC Channel 6 Action News - Philadelphia ^ | June 27, 2002 | David Henry

[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.

[Senator Pardek]

How about the old "Bizarre" Mall in your neck of the woods? (Actually, I like the shoe joint there - great prices on running shoes.)

[M. Thatcher]

Yes, EVERYONE still calls it the Bizarre Mall. I think it's haunted enough without any al Qaeda types.

[swarthyguy]

Ashar Iqbal Butt ... a real name?
Yes. Oddly enough, I seem to remember Hindus with the last name Butt, a (regional?) variant of Bhatta. In the same way Dhatta becomes Dutt.

Evidently there are Muslim Butts as well. ;-)

---

"name-meanings and so forth?"

There's a Palestinian spokesman on TV lately; a young woman with the last name Butto. Very pretty and very articulate. But, in India, numerous versions abound -- Bhatia, Bhutto, Butta, Dutta, Dutt, and other variations like Khattu, Khutto, Bhutt.

What they all mean, I don't know. But it has surprised me to find names i thought of as all hindu turn out to be muslim as well like chowdhury - choudhury - in particular. Some are common, like Malik.

[Shermy]

Great find at #60. Thanks.

[dighton]

Thank you.

[OldFriend]

Monroeville, outside of Pittsburgh.

[Mo1]

Sorry .. storm knocked the power out ..

Here are some more locations

Intrigue Jewelers
1901 NW Expressway St
Oklahoma City, OK

Intrigue Jewelers
2501 W Memorial Rd # 4524
Oklahoma City, OK

[Mo1]

Here are some more locations .. from what I can tell these stores are pretty much located everywhere

Governor's Square.
Tallahassee, FL 32301

Jacksonville Mall
Jacksonville, NC

Valley West Mall
West Des Moines, Iowa.

Old Hickory Mall
Jackson, TN

RiverGate Mall
Goodlettsville, TN

Colonial Mall,
Brunswick, Georgia

[Don Myers]

bttt

[Miss Marple]

Thanks for all the locations. I am curious about how many arrests there actually were. And of course I am MOST curious about what they were up to!!

I have checked a couple papers from cities with the stores. but no news yet on arrests. And no news here at our store.

[Mo1]

Don't know .. I tried looking but have not found anything in the papers

[Mo1]

There is this thread

FBI closes down three stores at two Florida Panhandle malls

[not-alone]

I found two in Miami; Adventura and lincoln Road. They are also in Orlando.

[Mo1]

Another thread regarding this story

CNN - Feds sweep malls for terror funding links

[SpottedBeaver]

Apparently, there was also a raid in Dallas, TX.... Here:

Feds sweep malls for terror funding links

[SpottedBeaver]

OOoooops! same thead.

[SpottedBeaver]

thead = thread..... (Preview many times... then post)

[Fred Mertz]

I'll quit my mall shopping after this weekend.

[ellery]

Not just Philly, Miss Marple -- this article doesn't mention it, but Monroeville Mall is here in Pittsburgh (although it's not a Simon property)...Yikes.