CNN: Three face terror charges after 1,000 cell phones seized

(CNN) -- Three men authorities said were found with about 1,000 untraceable cell phones were arraigned Saturday on terror-related charges, and were believed to have been targeting a Michigan bridge, a prosecutor said.

www.cnn.com...

Could this be another 'terror' plot thrwarted? Or is it more along the lines of what Alex Jones was talking about? You know terrorists being caught more and more, then BAM another 9/11 event. And all the goverment has to say is 'these ones got through, it's hard work'.

To me it sounds fishy from the cops end and the accused.

But does anybody find it suspicious that before this year the last 'terror cell' caught was just a few months after 9/11?
www.cnn.com...

I mean this summer alone we've had Miami, London and now this.

I forgot there was that american caught in chicago, with supposed terror ties.

[edit on 13-8-2006 by djpaec]

Mod Edit: External Source Tags – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 14/8/2006 by Mirthful Me]

A similiar thing happened in Ohio last week.

The arrests in Caro were made three days after two men were arrested in Marietta, Ohio, where police said they piqued suspicions when they acknowledged buying about 600 cellphones in recent months at stores in the southeast section of the state.

Boston.com

I highly doubt that they were using these to blow up a bridge. According to the Washington Post, the suspected terrorists claimed they were buying and selling cell phones to help pay for their brother's college education.

This does check out, and is probably the reason. According to boingboing.net:

As for why these men were buying cell phones, it is apparent that they were buying those special pre-paid cell phones that are locked into a pre-paid network. These phones are sold below cost because the companies make back their money by selling the MINUTES. (Give away the razors, sell the blades.) Recently, companies have found out how to unlock these cell phones to work with standard cellular networks. Thus, with a little work, a very cheap cell phone can be turned into a regular cell phone. There, apparently, is some good money in this. This also explains pockets in the story, like Wal-Mart trying to enforce a vendor's desire that no more then three be sold to a person.

Mod Edit: External Source Tags – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 14/8/2006 by Mirthful Me]

Reselling phones for a profit if it's instigated by Muslims can easily be shown as a potential act of terrorism as is the case here. It's sad really, absolutely no evidence of involvment in terrorist activities or past history was given, except our unconditional acceptence of truth told by the authorities.

Luxifero

Originally posted by Luxifero
Reselling phones for a profit if it's instigated by Muslims can easily be shown as a potential act of terrorism as is the case here. It's sad really, absolutely no evidence of involvment in terrorist activities or past history was given, except our unconditional acceptence of truth told by the authorities.

Luxifero

So what you are saying is that when something out of the ordinary happens like this. The authorities shouldn't check it out Cell phones are used in terror attacks, so when someone buys a hundred in one shot that shouldn't out a red flag up. It dosen't have to be muslim cowards just someone wanting to blow something up.

Originally posted by steve99
So what you are saying is that when something out of the ordinary happens like this. The authorities shouldn't check it out Cell phones are used in terror attacks, so when someone buys a hundred in one shot that shouldn't out a red flag up. It dosen't have to be muslim cowards just someone wanting to blow something up.

It doesn't really make much sense for terrorists to buy 1,000 cell phones to use it terrorist activities. The cell phones will either be used for a) a detonater, or b) as an explosive device itself.

If they use it as a detonater, then why would they need 1,000 of them? What exactly are the chances of a terrorist having 1,000 tiny bombs instead of one big one. If the cell phone's used as an explosive itself, then they wouldn't use 1,000 cell phones since that would draw way too much attention.

Any real terrorist wouldn't have even bought the 80 cell phones from walmart because it would be drawing too much attention to themselves, which the terrorists know that they can't do.

Sounds like fluff. Probably just some racial profiling going on. From the article:

www.cnn.com...

Officers were dispatched early Friday when the men aroused suspicion at a Caro Wal-Mart, where they purchased 80 prepaid wireless "TracFones" with cash, Caro Police Chief Ben Page said.

Police intercepted the men in the store's parking lot and found nearly 1,000 cell phones in the trio's rented minivan, authorities said. The phones were in boxes and had been removed from their packages with the phone batteries in separate boxes, Page said.

Authorities believe the men were either selling the phones to make money for terrorism or using them for explosives, WEYI reported.

The wife of one of the men told the AP her husband and his relatives are not terrorists, but are simply trying to make money by reselling cell phones.

Three times, in case people missed it. Buying the phones to resell them and make money. Elsewhere in the article it says they could make 5$ per phone. 5 grand.

Because they're Arab, I'd imagine someone at the Walmart called it in as "suspicious", since, um, you know, they're A-rabs and they've got to be up to no good, right? If it was 15 years ago and they were Russian, same deal.

And anybody who can afford 1000 cellphones to somehow use parts of them as explosives components can probably afford to buy ACTUAL explosives, I would think.

Just saying...


[edit on 14/8/2006 by Mirthful Me]

news.yahoo.com...

TextCARO, Mich. - 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.

Guess they just wanted to ruin these people lives today. Scare us folks a little more.