Report: N.Y. Men Under Heavy Surveillance in Terror Probe
September 30, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
Additional associates of alleged terror suspect Najiabullah Zazi are under heavy surveillance, according to law enforcement officials in a Fox news report. Authorities have said three unnamed people traveled from New York City to suburban Denver over the summer and used stolen credit cards to help Zazi buy products containing hydrogen peroxide and acetone, common ingredients for homemade bombs. The three returned to New York at some point but haven’t been accounted for publicly, nor have the “others” who court papers say joined Zazi on a trip to Pakistan last year.
Investigators are said to still be looking for additional accomplices and expect to make more arrests according to one official who declined to discuss details as to when that might happen or how many additional suspects may be involved.
Officials add that the men under surveillance are no longer considered a threat because the plot was thoroughly disrupted. The report states that both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation continues.
New York Terror Case Official Replaced
September 24, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
In a post yesterday, we cited Gerald Posner’s article at The Daily Beast. In the article Posner said behind the scenes in the ongoing New York terror investigation, agents were furious at two detectives of the New York Police Department intelligence unit, whose actions, according to a source familiar with the case, scuttled the long-running probe and forced a raid earlier than planned.
Today, in the NY Times we learn that a senior official in the case has been transferred to another assignment.
The New York Police Department has removed a senior official from one of its two sometimes competing antiterrorism units, after it played a role in disrupting a sensitive federal terrorism investigation, current and former police officials said on Wednesday. He was replaced by a top official from the other unit.
The department has acknowledged no missteps in the effort by Intelligence Division detectives to seek assistance from the imam, a disclosure that contributed to a significant disruption in the investigation.
But the transfer of the Counterterrorism Bureau official to the Intelligence Division, which has sometimes clashed with its local and federal partners, suggests that senior police officials are seeking to improve relations between the units. He is widely respected and has overseen a large contingent of detectives assigned to work with the F.B.I. on the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
via Read Article.
Feds Eye New Charges for New York Terror Suspect
September 24, 2009 by Homeland Security NTARC News
Filed under Homeland Security News
A former Queens resident at the center of a terrorism investigation in New York and Denver might soon face new charges, among them, terror-related counts, federal sources said. Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year-old Afghanistan-born immigrant who works as a shuttle van driver at the Denver airport has so far only been charged with lying to the government during a criminal investigation.
NBCNewYork is saying sources have told them that Zazi could face terror-related counts and might be moved from Denver to Brooklyn, where he would be charged in the Eastern District Court on Cadman Plaza.
[...]
Zazi, who has admitted he received weapons training from al Qaida in Pakistan, is at the center of what officials said could be a plot to blow up subways or other targets in New York City.
He was found in possession of a bomb-making manual, batteries, a scale, and other equipment that could be used to make explosives, federal officials said.
[...]
A joint terrorism task force is continuing to canvas the New York City area to see if chemicals or bomb making equipment might be stores in our area, the sources told NBC New York.
Federal officials have also issued security bulletins to police around the nation about terrorists’ desire to attack stadiums, entertainment complexes and hotels — while the MTA has boosted security on the city’s subway system and commuter trains at “key locations.”
Officials Worried NY Terror Plot “Still Alive”
September 22, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
The Blotter from Brian Ross reports that surveillance teams are stretched thin watching more than 24 possible suspects while some officials worry the New York terror plot is “still alive”. One senior law enforcement official with more than a dozen years of experience in counter-terrorism investigations tells The Blotter, “I have never been so worried.”
Yesterday both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin to law enforcement authorities urging vigilance at so-called “soft targets” including sports stadiums and luxury hotels.
On Monday, media sources reported that alleged terror plot suspect Najibullah Zazi’s computer contained information relating to New York area baseball and football stadiums and a video of Grand Central Terminal in New York.
The FBI and Homeland Security have warned police about possible attacks on mass transit targets but said there is no evidence of any specific target or timing.
