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Home Front: WoT

FBI: No Terror Groups in Cell Phone Case

2006-08-15

CARO, Mich. (AP) - The FBI said Monday it had no information to indicate that the three Texas men arrested with about 1,000 cell phones in their van had any direct connection to known terrorist groups. Authorities had increased patrols on the 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge after local prosecutors said investigators believed the men were targeting the span. Local authorities didn't say what they believed the men intended to do with the phones, most of which were prepaid TracFones, but Caro's police chief noted that cell phones can be untraceable and used as detonators. The FBI issued a news release Monday saying there is no imminent threat to the bridge linking Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. The release also said the FBI had no information indicating that the men, Palestinian-Americans living in Texas, had any direct links to any known terrorist groups or to the alleged plot to bomb trans-Atlantic jetliners that was announced in London last week. "Nope, nope, pure as the driven snow, nope ..." William Kowalski, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit field office, said authorities believe concern about the bridge was connected to images of the Mackinac Bridge found on a digital camera belonging to the men. Kowalski said there was nothing illegal about buying cell phones in bulk, but that profits from that kind of activity can be suspicious. More to this than meets the eye. Buying cell phones retail and reselling them in the US doesn't make sense. Driving from Texas to Michigan to buy cell phones doesn't make sense.

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Home Front: WoT

3 Texas Men Arraigned on Terror Charges

2006-08-13

CARO, Mich. Three Texas men were arraigned Saturday on terrorism-related charges after police found about 1,000 cell phones in their minivan. A magistrate set bond at $750,000 for each of the men, who are charged with collecting or providing materials for terrorist acts and surveillance of a vulnerable target for terrorist purposes. Officials have declined to say how the case relates to terrorism. No pleas were entered at the arraignment at a District Court in Caro, about 80 miles north of Detroit. Maruan Awad Muhareb and Louai Abdelhamied Othman, both of Mesquite, Texas, and Adham Abdelhamid Othman, of Dallas, were stopped before dawn Friday after they purchased 80 cell phones from a Wal-Mart in Caro. Police said they found about 1,000 cell phones, mostly prepaid TracFones, in their minivan. The men cooperated with police and the FBI for hours before their arrests Friday afternoon. They said they intended to sell the phones in Texas for a profit. Authorities have said TracFones are often used by terrorists because they are not traceable. Cell phones can also be used to make detonators. Adham and Louai Othman are in their early 20s, and Muhareb is 18. All are being held at the Tuscola County Jail, Caro police said.

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More Muzzie/Cell Phone Hijinx Arrests

2006-08-11

Michigan - go figure! The three suspects are now facing two counts each of Homeland Security Terrorism charges. All three suspects are due to be arraigned August 12th. Around 1:00am August 11th the three men purchased cell phones from the Wal-Mart store on M-81 near the corner of M-24 in Caro. Wal-Mart places a limit on the number of cell phones that can be purchased at once, that number is three. The three men allegedly bought 80 by purchasing them three at time so that an alert wouldn't be triggered by the cash register. They also paid cash. hmmmmmm An alert clerk grew suspicious and called Tuscola County central dispatch. The Caro Police Department sent a unit and stopped the rented van on M-81 just east of Caro. The suspects were headed towards Bad Axe on M-81 where there is another Super Wal-Mart. "alert" as in "conscious", but good job..... The three men are described as being of Palestinian descent but live in Texas. Police say the three, ages 19, 22, and 23 appear to be naturalized citizens. from Palestine, TX? Nope? One man was driving while the other two were in the back opening the phone packages with box cutters throwing the phones in one box, batteries in another and the packaging and phone charger in another container. The suspects had 1000 other cell phones in the van. There was also a bag of receipts showing that someone was in Wisconsin the day before. busy lil beavers The phones were Nokia TracFones selling for $20 at Wal-Mart. For your twenty dollars you receive a phone charger and 40 minutes of airtime. The phones do not have to be registered with a name. Also discovered was a laptop with store addresses and store logos. Tim Nausler with the Michigan State Police bomb squad says this has all the tell tale signs of using cell phones to detonate bombs. He says you need two phones to detonate a bomb one to be with the explosive and the other to make the call to that phone. In some instances he says you can detonate with one phone using the alarm clock function. hmmmm ....ROP? The TracFones are a nationwide prepaid wireless phone service and are even offered with international long distance. These phones according to tracfone.com don't even have coverage in the Thumb area where they were purchased. The men have been "cooperative, upfront, not hiding" anything according to police. They also told officers they get stopped frequently and say they buy the phones for $20 and sell them elsewhere for $38. They sell them without the packaging or charger. The Caro Police Department, the FBI and the Homeland Security Terrorism Taskforce are involved in the case.

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