Incident Notification
In an effort to keep you informed, we would like to notify you of the following information:
JTTF ARRESTS MAN IN LOWER MANHATTAN AFTER HE ATTEMPTED TO BOMB NEW YORK FEDERAL RESERVE BANK - Defendant Attempted to Strike New York's Financial District on Behalf of Al-Qaeda
BROOKLYN, NY - Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis (Nafis), 21, was arrested
yesterday morning in downtown Manhattan after he allegedly attempted to detonate what he believed to be a 1,000-pound bomb at the New York Federal Reserve Bank on Liberty Street in lower Manhattan's financial district. The defendant faces charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to al-Qaeda.
The arrest of Nafis was the culmination of an undercover operation during which he was
closely monitored by the FBI New York Field Office's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The
explosives that he allegedly sought and attempted to use had been rendered inoperable by law
enforcement and posed no threat to the public. The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Mary E.Galligan, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).
According to the criminal complaint filed yesterday in the Eastern District of New York,
defendant Nafis, a Bangladeshi national, traveled to the United States in January 2012 for the
purpose of conducting a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Nafis, who reported having overseas
connections to al-Qaeda, attempted to recruit individuals to form a terrorist cell inside the United
States. Nafis also actively sought out al-Qaeda contacts within the United States to assist him in
carrying out an attack. Unbeknownst to Nafis, one of the individuals he attempted to recruit was
actually a source for the FBI. Through the investigation, FBI agents and NYPD detectives
working with the JTTF were able to closely monitor Nafis as he attempted to implement his plan.
The complaint alleges that Nafis proposed several targets for his attack, including a highranking
U.S. official and the New York Stock Exchange. Ultimately, Nafis decided to conduct a
bombing operation against the New York Federal Reserve Bank. In a written statement intended to claim responsibility for the terrorist bombing of the Federal Reserve Bank on behalf of al-Qaeda, Nafis wrote that he wanted to "destroy America" and that he believed the most efficient way to accomplish this goal was to target America's economy. In this statement, Nafis also included quotations from "our beloved Sheikh Osama bin Laden" to justify the fact that Nafis expected that the attack would involve the killing of women and children.
During the investigation, Nafis came into contact with an FBI undercover agent who
posed as an al-Qaeda facilitator. At Nafis's request, the undercover agent supplied Nafis with 20 50-pound bags of purported explosives. Nafis then allegedly worked to store the material andassemble the explosive device for his attack. Nafis purchased components for the bomb's
detonator and conducted surveillance for his attack on multiple occasions in New York City's
financial district in lower Manhattan. Throughout his interactions with the undercover agent,
Nafis repeatedly asserted that the plan was his own and was the reason he had come to the
United States.
Earlier yesterday morning, Nafis met the undercover agent and traveled in a van to a warehouse
located in the Eastern District of New York. While en route, Nafis explained to the undercover
agent that he had a "Plan B" that involved conducting a suicide bombing operation in the event
that the attack was about to be thwarted by the police. Upon arriving at the warehouse, Nafis
assembled what he believed to be a 1,000-pound bomb inside the van. Nafis and the undercover agent then drove to the New York Federal Reserve Bank. During this drive, Nafis armed the purported bomb by assembling the detonator and attaching it to the explosives. Nafis and the undercover agent parked the van next to the New York Federal Reserve Bank, exited the van,and walked to a nearby hotel. There, Nafis recorded a video statement to the American public which he intended to release in connection with the attack. During this video statement, Nafis stated: "We will not stop until we attain victory or martyrdom." Nafis then repeatedly, but
unsuccessfully, attempted to detonate the bomb, which had been assembled using the inert
explosives provided by the undercover agent. JTTF agents arrested Nafis immediately after he
attempted to detonate the bomb.
Throughout the morning, federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, working with the JTTF, closely monitored the movements of Nafis as he attempted to implement the attack, including assuring that the van was not stopped by NYPD counterterrorism units active in lower Manhattan."As alleged in the complaint, the defendant came to this country intent on conducting a terrorist attack on U.S. soil and worked with single-minded determination to carry out his plan.The defendant thought he was striking a blow to the American economy. He thought he was directing confederates and fellow believers. At every turn, he was wrong, and his extensive
efforts to strike at the heart of the nation's financial system were foiled by effective law
enforcement. We will use all of the tools at our disposal to stop any such attack before it can
occur. We are committed to protecting the safety of all Americans, including the hundreds of
thousands who work in New York's financial district," stated United States Attorney Lynch. "I
would like to thank our partners at the FBI, NYPD, the other agencies who participate in the
JTTF, and the Department of Justice's National Security Division, for their hard work on this
important investigation. I would also like to thank the security teams at the New York Federal
Reserve Bank and the New York Stock Exchange for their assistance."
"As alleged in the criminal complaint, Rezwanul Nafis devised this attack plan himself
and came to the United States for the purpose of carrying out such an attack. I thank all those
responsible for ensuring that his alleged plans never came to fruition," said Assistant Attorney
General for National Security Monaco.FBI Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge Galligan stated, "Attempting to destroy a landmark building and kill or maim untold numbers of innocent bystanders is about as serious as the imagination can conjure. The defendant faces appropriately severe consequences. It is important to emphasize that the public was never at risk in this case, because two of the defendant's 'accomplices' were actually an FBI source and an FBI undercover agent. The FBI continues to place the highest priority on preventing acts of terrorism."
NYPD Commissioner Kelly stated, "Al Qaeda operatives and those they have inspired
have tried time and again to make New York City their killing field. We are up to 15 plots and
counting since 9/11 with the Federal Reserve now added to a list of iconic targets that previously included the Brooklyn Bridge, the New York Stock Exchange, and Citicorp Center. After 11years without a successful attack, it's understandable if the public becomes complacent. But that's a luxury law enforcement can't afford. Vigilance is our watchword now and into the
foreseeable future. That's why we have over 1,000 NYPD officers assigned to counterterrorism
duties every day, and why we built the domain awareness system. I want to commend the
NYPD detectives and FBI agents of the Joint Terrorism Task Force for the work they did in the
case, and U.S. Attorney Lynch and her dedicated team in prosecuting it."
The defendant has been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, in
violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2332a, and attempting to provide material
support to al-Qaeda, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B. His initial
appearance was before United States Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of
life imprisonment.
The government's case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James
P. Loonam and Richard M. Tucker, with assistance from Trial Attorney Bridget Behling of the
Justice Department's Counterterrorism Section. The charges contained in the complaint are mere allegations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Defendant:
Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis
Age: 21
Jamaica, New York
______________________________
For more information on all of the programs we offer, or for crime prevention and personal safety tips visit our website: www.nypdcommunityaffairs.org
No comments:
Post a Comment