WASHINGTON, Sept 22: The arrest of 45 people — mostly Pakistanis — in an FBI sting operation in Maryland has stunned Pakistani-Americans as they fear that it would further strengthen the negative stereotyping of their community in this country.
“People are scared. It will have a very negative impact on the entire community,” said Munir Ahmad, a member of the Maryland Muslim Council. “Some of the suspects were known in the community and people have been dealing with them,” he said. “People say that they were licensed money dealers and apparently law-abiding citizens. We don’t know what happened.”
Irfan Malik, of the National Association of Pakistani-Americans who also lives in Maryland, said people were so scared that although this is Ramazan, “people are not giving money charities or even mosques.” He said he did not blame the community for being cautious. “There are many people who must have gone to the stores and gas stations run by the suspects. Now they fear that the FBI may knock at their doors.”
Mr Malik said that in some cases after 9/11 people have been arrested “just for standing near a suspect.” He advised the community not to get involved in any informal money transfer “and not to give even $100 to someone they do not know.”
Details emerging on Thursday show that a total of 45 suspects have been arrested so far in sting operations in North America and Europe.
Thirty-eight of the suspects in the United States were arrested in raids conducted between Thursday and Friday.
One of the suspects is accused of concealing money for Al Qaeda.
FBI agents also raided two gas station convenience stores and a home in Snow Hill, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, which apparently belonged to a Pakistani-American.
Federal prosecutors are seeking $5.1 million in criminal forfeitures and ownership interest in two convenience stores located in Snow Hill, which belonged to a Pakistani.
Court documents show that people engaged by FBI posed as clients to lure the suspects; some posing as drug smugglers while in one case as a terrorist who wanted to send money to Al Qaeda.
Federal prosecutors identified one suspect as Mohammed Ahsan, a 49-year old Pakistani-American living in Laurel, a Washington suburb.
US officials claimed that Ahsan laundered $520,000 through his home in 2005 and 2006, believing he was helping drug dealers move their illicit money out of the United States.
Fake clients, now appearing as government witnesses in the case, went to Ahsan’s house at least four times -- successfully arranging the illegal transfer of $20,000 to $200,000 to Pakistan, London or Canada each time, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors allege Saifullah Ranjha, 44, co-owner of Hamza, Inc. in Washington, accepted money from a witness who said the money was going to Al Qaeda.
Saifullah Ranjha’s brother, Imdad Ranjha, 33, of Glen Burnie also was charged with one count of money laundering and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting company.
