Disposable cell phones have become a tool of terrorists for good reason they are untraceable, can be used to contact members of a terrorist cell and can even detonate explosives. Not to mention the buying and selling of the phones can be used to fund terrorism. However it has been discovered that in Caro and Ithaca Michigan disposable cell phones are being purchased by the thousands.
While police aren't saying yet that's what these phones would have been used for the mass amounts purchased are causing concern.
Around 1:00am August 11th the three men purchased cell phones from the Wal-Mart store on M-81 near the corner of M-24 in Caro. Wal-Mart places a limit on the number of cell phones that can be purchased at once, that number is three. The three men allegedly bought 80 by purchasing them three at time so that an alert wouldn't be triggered by the cash register. They also paid cash.
The three men are described as being of Palestinian descent but live in Texas. Police say the three, ages 19, 22, and 23 appear to be naturalized citizens.
One man was driving while the other two were in the back opening the phone packages with box cutters throwing the phones in one box, batteries in another and the packaging and phone charger in another container. The suspects had 1000 other cell phones in the van. There was also a bag of receipts showing that someone was in Wisconsin the day before.
The three suspects are now facing two counts each of Homeland Security Terrorism charges. All three suspects are due to be arraigned August 12th
While FBI agents pour into Caro another incident breaks out in Gratiot County. At approximately 11:35am August 11th police were called to the Dollar General Store in Ithaca after a" clerk in Ithaca became suspicious after two men came into the store, and became upset when they were turned down while trying to buy several disposal cell phones.
In light of the recent foiled terrorist plot to blow up eleven flights from Britain bound to the United States incidents such as the aforementioned, in the next days and months, should be regarded with extreme caution by the National Homeland Security agency.
