Three Palestinian-born suspects are being held on terrorism charges after a Wal-Mart clerk in rural Tuscola County MI alert authorities that the trio had purchased some 80 cell phones. The cell phones were purchased three at a time so as not to tip-off the store, which places a three-phone limit on customers. The cell phones were purchased with cash. The purchases were made at around 2 a.m.
Local police stopped the Palestinians as they left the rural town of Caro in a rented minivan.
According to reports, they are naturalized US citizens who were born in Palestine, aged 19, 22, and 23. They are apparently residents of Texas. When apprehended, two of the detained suspects were opening the packages they had purchased and placing the phones in one box, while the batteries, chargers, and packaging were placed in others. Police on the scene found an additional 1,000 cell phones in the van, some apparently purchased in Wisconsin.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Terrorism Taskforce, and the Caro Police Department are all involved in investigating this case. A spokesman for the Michigan State police expressed concern that cell phones such as these can be used to detonate explosive devices, either singly or in pairs.
The deadly April 2005 explosions in Madrid, Spain, were caused by explosives remotely detonated by cell phones.
The cell phones found in Caro are sold under the name "TracFone" and cost $20 and include a charger and 40 minutes air time. They do not have to be registered with a name. In addition, TracFones do not have coverage in the region of Michigan surrounding Caro. No identification is required to purchase these cell phones.
Caro police say that the trio has been cooperative in the investigation, saying that they are stopped frequently. They told police that they buy the cell phones for $20 and sell them for $38 without the chargers and packaging.
The local county prosecutor, Mark Reene, is seeking Michigan state charges of soliciting and providing material support for terrorism. Authorities would not say which sites the trio of Palestinians may have been scouting for a terrorism strike.
Rural Michigan is spooked by the news of the arrest, which follows on the foiled attempt to destroy airliners crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Britain. Also, in related news, two 20year-old Muslims from Dearborn MI (near Detroit) were detained in Marietta OH and are also facing terrorism charges. Their families claim that this is a case of racial profiling. Michigan has a large Muslim population centered around Detroit that is second in size only to the sizeable Hispanic community.
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