Man Arrested At B.C. Border With ‘Terrorist Resources’
November 11, 2009 by Homeland Security NTARC News
Filed under Incident Reports
CTVBC in Canada reports that a Syrian man was arrested at the Canadian Border last month with $800,000 in gold coins along what is being described as “terrorist resources”.
From CTVBC
Paranoia and naivete led a Syrian man to lie about why he was crossing the border with nearly $1 million in gold and what’s been called “terrorist resources,” says the lawyer for the man who has been held as a potential security threat since early last month.
Khaled Nawaya, a flight instructor, was arrested by Canada Border Services agents when they found $800,000 in gold coins and other currency in his car and pockets on Oct. 6, as he crossed into Surrey, B.C., near Vancouver.
“He didn’t want to be taxed on it,” lawyer Phil Rankin said Tuesday.
“He should have gotten legal advice on that and just declared the money. Had he declared the money, that would probably be the end of the story.”
But his actions, along with other politically-charged items found in his vehicle, are now being used by government officials to build a case depicting him as a national security threat.
The 35-year-old faces the Immigration and Refugee Board on Thursday to learn whether authorities have grounds to keep him in custody.
He’d been living in the U.S. since he was 17 and had gained approval for permanent residency in Canada.
Besides the gold, Canadian agents found a ring bearing the insignia of Hezbollah, which has been listed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government since 2002.
