August 18, 2006

Large cell phone purchases in Huachuca City and Tucson AZ; Nashville

From this:

...Reports of large numbers of cell phones purchased have occurred this month in Caro, Mich.; and Midland, Texas. Suspicious parties in those instances were of Middle Eastern descent.

Another incident under suspicion occurred on April 21 in Huachuca City. At 3:30 p.m., town police responded to the Dollar General Store on Highway 90 to a report of suspicious activity regarding two men purchasing more than 300 Tracfone-brand cell phones.

According to the Huachuca City dispatch records, two California men were traveling in a black 2001 Ford Explorer.

The vehicle contained about another 700 such cell phones in addition to those that were purchased at the Huachuca City Dollar General Store, Police Chief Dennis Grey said.

They weren't arrested because, obviously, buying a lot of cellular telephones isn't a crime. The FBI did, however, retrieve some of the discarded packaging. And, we're informed that not only could the phones be used to detonate bombs, but the lithium in the batteries can be used to make meth.

And:

Last weekend, a suspicious cell phone shopping spree took place in Tucson.

A concerned caller told the Tucson police dispatch that two men apparently of Middle Eastern descent purchased an unusual amount of cell phones at the Sam's Club in the 4600 block of North Stone, said Tucson police Sgt. Decio Hopffer.

And, the - dare I say it - statists at GovExec reprint an email from a reader without comment. I'm going to assume they do so sarcastically, although one person owning 12 cellphones would seem to be a bit odd:

I live in Northern Georgia and required transportation to Nashville, The VA sent a cab service to pick me up just south of Chattanooga and for 3 hours I listened as my driver talked to many different people via his many cell phones, I also had to listen to him explain the Koran and his religious beliefs. This only raised my level of awareness of his and many others involved in his group. I reported this to the VA upon my arrival, nothing was done other than the transportation personal calling the dispatcher of the cab company and complain of the cab driver pushing his religion on me. When it was time to return home I recieved yet another arab speaking driver who like the first had many cell phones, and for 3 hours the driver spoke to 30 different people on 12 different phones. I really don't think these people are family and he's not calling to ask whats for dinner. You have too many people talking about it and doing little to improve our security. Start taking a look right under your noses and see whats going on.

Why do I get the same feeling from this whole thing that I got from the whole Israeli Art Students craze?

Previously:
Do hundreds of cellphones imply terrorism?
Georgian illegal alien with 15 pre-paid cell phones held in Pennsylvania

Posted to Terrorism at August 18, 2006 06:08 AM

Comments

Why do I get the same feeling from this whole thing that I got from the whole Israeli Art Students craze?

One reason might be that you feel yourself being driven by facts toward a precipice, beyond which is the abyss of 'conspiracy theories', and certain marginalization.

Posted by: eh at August 19, 2006 02:00 AM