July 18, 2002	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 7, 1423

LOS ANGELES, July 17: Recent raids on local jewellry stores coupled with reports that terrorism suspects are under nationwide surveillance has renewed anger and fear in Los Angeles, the second biggest Muslim and Pakistani concentration center after New York and New Jersey.

Federal agents are reportedly watching groups of Middle Eastern and Pakistan origin men suspected of being part of Al Qaeda operatives on the US soil.

Media reports said similar surveillance is underway in Atlanta, Detroit, Seattle and Chicago.

In Seattle, a federal grand jury is investigating a group linked to two defunct Seattle mosques for possible ties with Osama bin Laden’s network.

“People are very frightened,” said Hassan Kamal from India, who attended Friday prayers at a local mosque here, where dozens of Pakistanis own jewellry stores.

“They are really scared, even though many of them are American citizens. They think their civil rights are under threat.”

Usman Matha, a Pakistan and director of King Fahd mosque, said that most of the people are concerned over the surveillance campaign.

Two weeks ago, a joint operation by the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service led to eight raids and detention of 19 people in Atlanta, many of them Pakistani nationals working in jewellry stores.

Around 75 jewellry stores were raided throughout the state between June 28 and July 2. All the jewellry stores were linked to Florida-based company, Gold Concept Inc., owned by Pakistani tycoon, Arif Rajan.

The FBI suspected the businessmen of siphoning off part of their profit to unknown recipients, and failing to account for the expenditures.

“There’s a rumour that the person who owned the jewellry store was wiring substantial money to the United Arab Emirates,” said Teri Simmons, an Atlanta immigration attorney representing four Pakistani clients detained in local jewellry store sweeps.