New York Times
May 22, 2003
Cabdriver Is Arrested On Drug Charge, But Interest In Explosives Attracts Attention Of F.B.I.
By Andy Newman
In March, the authorities said, Sayed Abdul Malike, a cabdriver from Brooklyn, went to Miami, took a boat tour of the port, and asked enough questions about bridge design and how close the boat could get to cruise ships that the captain called the F.B.I.
In April, the authorities said, Mr. Malike met with an undercover F.B.I. agent working on the joint terrorism task force in New York, looking to buy explosives from him. How much? he was asked. Enough to blow up a mountain, Mr. Malike replied, according to court papers.
In May, Mr. Malike arranged to buy Valium pills from the undercover agent, the authorities said. On Tuesday, he bought 100 of them, was immediately arrested, and gave many misleading answers to investigators' questions, prosecutors said. Yesterday, he was arraigned and held without bail.
Mr. Malike, 43 years old and a native of Afghanistan, is charged with drug possession and making false statements, but his alleged interest in substances more dangerous than sedatives has piqued the government's curiosity.
The executive assistant United States attorney in Brooklyn, William J. Muller, said the investigation of him is continuing.
Mr. Malike's unintended contact with terror investigators began on March 21, when, prosecutors said, he asked a store owner in Queens for information on making a bomb. The store owner contacted the F.B.I.
A week later, on his tour of the port of Miami, Mr. Malike asked the captain "a series of questions abut the infrastructure of bridges, such as how the drawbridges and access ladders worked, and about how close the boat could get to the bridges and cruise ship," according to court papers.
The captain called the F.B.I. and the F.B.I. questioned Mr. Malike. He told them he was simply a tourist, and after showing his legal immigration status was confirmed, he was released, prosecutors said.
On April 4, Mr. Malike, back in New York, met with the undercover F.B.I. agent, who told him he could get him some C-4, a powerful plastic explosive, prosecutors said. On April 9, prosecutors said, Mr. Malike told the agent he was interested in the C-4. He said that he also needed 5 bulletproof vests, night-vision goggles, a camera for the front of his car, 50 sleeping pills and 50 Valium pills, the authorities said.
The deal for the explosives was never completed, however, because Mr. Malike said he did not have a place to store them, prosecutors said. He was, however, still interested in the pills, and on Tuesday he bought 150 of them, leading to his arrest, they said. Prosecutors said that on questioning, Mr. Malike lied about his contact with the agent, his interest in acquiring explosives and his travels to Florida.
He would face up to 6 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
May 22, 2003
Cabdriver Is Arrested On Drug Charge, But Interest In Explosives Attracts Attention Of F.B.I.
By Andy Newman
In March, the authorities said, Sayed Abdul Malike, a cabdriver from Brooklyn, went to Miami, took a boat tour of the port, and asked enough questions about bridge design and how close the boat could get to cruise ships that the captain called the F.B.I.
In April, the authorities said, Mr. Malike met with an undercover F.B.I. agent working on the joint terrorism task force in New York, looking to buy explosives from him. How much? he was asked. Enough to blow up a mountain, Mr. Malike replied, according to court papers.
In May, Mr. Malike arranged to buy Valium pills from the undercover agent, the authorities said. On Tuesday, he bought 100 of them, was immediately arrested, and gave many misleading answers to investigators' questions, prosecutors said. Yesterday, he was arraigned and held without bail.
Mr. Malike, 43 years old and a native of Afghanistan, is charged with drug possession and making false statements, but his alleged interest in substances more dangerous than sedatives has piqued the government's curiosity.
The executive assistant United States attorney in Brooklyn, William J. Muller, said the investigation of him is continuing.
Mr. Malike's unintended contact with terror investigators began on March 21, when, prosecutors said, he asked a store owner in Queens for information on making a bomb. The store owner contacted the F.B.I.
A week later, on his tour of the port of Miami, Mr. Malike asked the captain "a series of questions abut the infrastructure of bridges, such as how the drawbridges and access ladders worked, and about how close the boat could get to the bridges and cruise ship," according to court papers.
The captain called the F.B.I. and the F.B.I. questioned Mr. Malike. He told them he was simply a tourist, and after showing his legal immigration status was confirmed, he was released, prosecutors said.
On April 4, Mr. Malike, back in New York, met with the undercover F.B.I. agent, who told him he could get him some C-4, a powerful plastic explosive, prosecutors said. On April 9, prosecutors said, Mr. Malike told the agent he was interested in the C-4. He said that he also needed 5 bulletproof vests, night-vision goggles, a camera for the front of his car, 50 sleeping pills and 50 Valium pills, the authorities said.
The deal for the explosives was never completed, however, because Mr. Malike said he did not have a place to store them, prosecutors said. He was, however, still interested in the pills, and on Tuesday he bought 150 of them, leading to his arrest, they said. Prosecutors said that on questioning, Mr. Malike lied about his contact with the agent, his interest in acquiring explosives and his travels to Florida.
He would face up to 6 years in prison if convicted of all charges.