Four Charged in Terrorist Drug Deal

ByABC News
November 7, 2002, 10:09 AM

— -- Four Charged in Drug-For-Weapons Deal

W A S H I N G T O N, Nov. 6 U.S. agents arrested four people in adrugs-for-weapons investigation, charging them with plotting todeliver $25 million worth of weapons to a Colombian terroristgroup, Attorney General John Ashcroft said today.

Undercover agents secretly videotaped meetings in London, theVirgin Islands and Panama City at which the defendants allegedlydiscussed exchanging drugs for weapons that would be sent to theColombian United Self Defense Forces, known as the AUC.

The four were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine andconspiracy to provide material support and resources to a foreignterrorist organization, charges that could carry up to life inprison, Ashcroft said.

"The war on terrorism has been joined with the war on illegaldrug use," Ashcroft said.

He added that, because of the investigation by the FBI and DrugEnforcement Agency, "narco-terrorists from South America toSoutheast Asia are less able to threaten American lives andAmerican security."

In a separate case that Ashcroft described Wednesday, three menare fighting extradition from Hong Kong to face charges stemmingfrom an alleged scheme to use profits from illicit drug sales tofinance the purchase of Stinger missiles for the al Qaeda terrornetwork. The three men two Pakistanis and one U.S. citizen originallyfrom India allegedly sought to sell a half-ton of heroin and fivetons of hashish in the San Diego area and use the money to buy fourStinger missiles, authorities say.

The three suspects in custody in Hong Kong were identified asSyed Mustajab Shah and Muhammed Abid Afridi, both of Pakistan, andnaturalized U.S. citizen Ilyas Ali.

They were arrested Sept. 20 and appeared in a Hong Kong court onTuesday to fight extradition to the United States. Hong Kong, aformer British colony now under Chinese rule, has an extraditiontreaty with the United States.

The Stinger is a shoulder fired, American-made weapon effectivein attacking low-flying aircraft.

There appeared initially to be no evidence that the men had anyconnection to the 19 hijackers involved in the Sept. 11, 2001,terror attacks. Three of the Sept. 11 hijackers lived or visitedthe San Diego area.

U.S. officials have long believed that drug sales, particularlyheroin and opium from Afghanistan's huge poppy fields, at leastindirectly helped al Qaeda and other terror groups.

During a recent visit to Asia, Ashcroft praised Hong Kong forhelping cut off terrorist financing and met with local officialsabout finding new ways to cooperate in the anti-terror war.

The Associated Press

Ex-Mosque Leader Faces Terror-Related Gun Charge

S E A T T L E, Nov. 6 A former mosque leader has been arrested oncharges that he illegally bought a semiautomatic handgun for aTacoma man described as having al Qaeda connections.

Abdul Raheem Al Arshad Ali, 31, formerly known as AndreAnderson, was dressed all in black during a brief appearance inU.S. District Court following his arrest Tuesday.

U.S. Magistrate Ricardo Martinez released Ali on a temporaryappearance bond pending an interview with U.S. Pretrial Servicespersonnel who may suggest conditions for detention or continuedrelease pending trial. His next hearing was set for Nov. 22.

Ali is the third man linked to the now-defunct Dar-us-SalaamMosque in the Central District to face federal charges in recentmonths.

The other two, Semi Osman of Tacoma and James Ujaama of Seattle,who is accused of being a terrorist conspirator, have been accusedof involvement in a plot to set up an al Qaeda terrorist trainingcamp near Bly, Ore.

According to a complaint filed by an agent of the Bureau ofAlcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Ali bought a .40-caliber Smith &Wesson semiautomatic pistol at Federal Way Discount Guns in thesuburbs between Tacoma and Seattle, for Osman, 32, who is not aU.S. citizen and is barred from possessing a firearm, on Sept. 24,1999.