Several arrested in alleged immigration conspiracy
12:55 PM PST on Thursday, November 18, 2004
SEATTLE - Terrorism task force agents arrested at least 10 Seattle-area residents Thursday on charges of bank and immigration fraud, saying they were part of a conspiracy to illegally bring Gambians into the country. KING One of the businesses raided by the anti-terrorism task force is on south Rainier Avenue.
A federal law enforcement source in Washington, D.C., said the arrests have no links to any terror group or plans for attack. The 10 people arrested are facing bank and immigration fraud charges or weapons charges.
The U.S. attorney's office refused to comment immediately on the arrests, but a federal court clerk confirmed that the men were scheduled to make appearances Thursday afternoon on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and bank fraud to weapons charges.
A search warrant said agents searched the Crescent Cuts barber shop in South Seattle looking for training documents on urban warfare. That search warrant was reportedly filed in King County Superior Court; King County prosecutor's spokesman Dan Donohoe said he could not immediately comment.
The men scheduled to appear at U.S. District Court Thursday on a charge of conspiring to assist immigrants from the West African nation of Gambia were identified by the clerk as Souleyman Camara, Muhammed Njolo Tunkara, Bubacarr Tunkara, Muhammad Sofana and Mohamed Jawara.
Those to appear on a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in association with the case were Karim Abdullah Assalaam, Attawwaab Muhammad Fard and Ali Muhammad Brown. A fourth man, Herbert Chandler Stanford, was not yet in custody, the clerk said.
In addition, at least two men were being charged as felons in possession of a firearm: Ahmad As-Sidiq and Zaid Mumin.