FBI arrests two Pakistani-origin brothers in terror charges

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested two brothers of Pakistan decent on terrorism charges, accused of conspiring to deploy explosive weapons against an American target.

According to the media reports, the brothers, 20-year-old Raess Alam Qazi and 30-year-old Sheheryar Alam Qazi, have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. They are in custody of the FBI at the Broward County Jail.

According to prosecutors, the two brothers provided transportation, money, lodging and other aid toward a plan to use a large-scale weapon somewhere in the United States.  Both are naturalized US citizens originally from Pakistan and both were arrested in the Fort Lauderdale area, prosecutors said.

Few details about the plot were provided by prosecutors or outlined in a brief, three-page grand jury indictment. Authorities said the case was not an FBI sting operation but declined any additional comment.

”Any potential threat posed by these two individuals has been disrupted,” said Miami US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer.  The indictment charges that the two provided money, property, lodging, communications equipment and other support for a conspiracy to obtain a weapon of mass destruction between July 2011 and this week.

Prosecutors said in a news release that the goal was to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) against persons and property within the United States,  It wasn’t clear whether the conspirators actually did obtain explosives or what their potential targets might have been.

The arrested brothers had initial court appearances Friday, but court-appointed attorneys for the two did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. An arraignment and bail hearing is scheduled for Dec 7.

They are both charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence, and with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. The maximum is life in prison for that charge.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=35604

Posted by Web Desk on Dec 1 2012. Filed under USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.