Dearborn Terror Arrests

Thu, Aug 10, 2006 at 9:37:19 am PDT

Two Muslims from Dearborn Michigan charged with supporting terrorism had airplane passenger lists and security information in their possession when arrested—and 12 untraceable disposable cell phones, out of 600 they had purchased recently: Michigan Men Charged In Ohio With Supporting Terrorism. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)

MARIETTA, Ohio — Investigators in southeast Ohio said they were working to unravel how two Michigan men charged with supporting terrorism came to have airplane passenger lists and airport security information.

Osama Sabhi Abulhassan, 20, and Ali Houssaiky, 20, both of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, were being held at the Washington County Jail on $200,000 bond each, which could be raised at a Thursday afternoon court hearing. Each was charged Wednesday with money laundering in support of terrorism.

Deputies stopped the two on a traffic violation Tuesday and found the flight documents along with $11,000 cash and 12 phones in their car, Sheriff Larry Mincks said.

It wasn’t clear what significance the airline information might have. Assistant County Prosecutor Susan Vessels declined to comment on whether the manifests were for upcoming flights or those that already had flown. She also would not give the origin or destination of the flight or flights.

FBI spokesman Mike Brooks in Cincinnati said his office was investigating.

Abulhassan and Houssaiky admitted buying about 600 phones in recent months at stores in southeast Ohio, said sheriff’s Maj. John Winstanley. They sold the phones to someone in Dearborn, Winstanley said. Vessels declined to say how the phones, cash or flight information involved terrorism.