Another Chicago arrest: Cabbie who ‘sent’ funds to Ilyas Kashmiri

A statement from the FBI’s Chicago office said the arrest was not related to the case of LeT operatives David Coleman Headley and his associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana,and there was “no imminent domestic danger”. Headley and Rana have been charged with plotting terror attacks in Denmark and Mumbai.

Khan,56,was arrested at work from downtown Chicago

Taxi driver with links to Ilyas Kashmiri held from Chicago by Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. The complaint against him,filed in the US District Court in Chicago,charges him with two counts of providing material support to terrorism.

It gives details of conversations recorded between Khan and an undercover law enforcement agent about his association with Kashmiri.

“According to Khan,during his meeting or meetings with Kashmiri,Khan learned that Kashmiri wanted to train operatives to conduct attacks in the United States… and Kashmiri told Khan that he needed money,in any amount,to be able to purchase materials from the black market,” says the complaint.

Just two weeks ago,on March 11,Khan and an associate,identified as “Individual B”,allegedly had a discussion during which they appeared to talk about attacking a stadium in the US in “August”. Among other things,the affidavit says,Khan described that bags containing remote controlled bombs could be placed in several different locations,and then “boom,boom,boom,boom”.

Khan further says that he would ask “Lala” (his nickname for Kashmiri) to teach him how to conduct such an attack,the complaint alleges. However,there are no allegations that Khan either knows Kashmiri’s current whereabouts or had discussed his stadium plan with him. At one point though,Khan talks about Kashmiri showing him a video of detonation of an improvised explosive device.

Khan also told the undercover agent that though he had never met bin Laden “personally”,he wanted to meet him. He said bin Laden gave orders to Kashmiri,“then Kashmiri gives the order to ‘mujahideen’… al-Qaeda and Taliban”. He said “Lala” had told him bin Laden was “healthy… perfect” and “commanding”. He said he had met Kashmiri most recently in 2008 in Miran Shah in northwest Pakistan.

On November 23,2009,Khan allegedly sent approximately US $950 from a currency exchange in North LaSalle Street in Chicago to Individual A,who was in either Mirpur or Bhimber in Pakistan. Khan later spoke with Individual A by telephone and instructed him to give Rs 25,000 to “Lala”.

Ten days ago,Khan allegedly accepted US $1,000 from the undercover agent,who said he wanted to donate the same,and promised to deliver the money to Kashmiri for purchasing weapons. Khan also said he had provided Kashmiri money in the past too,including in December 2009.

Khan discussed the possibility of having his son transport the money from the US to England,where he would rendezvous with his son,retrieve the money,and deliver it to Kashmiri in Pakistan,says the complaint.

According to the affidavit,on March 23 government agents at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport came into contact with Khan’s son who was travelling to England,and discovered that he possessed seven of the 10 $100 bills that the undercover agent had given to Khan.

According to the affidavit,Khan feared his phones were being monitored and told the agent that if they were ever questioned about their discussions regarding “Lala”,they should claim to have been referring to Khan’s elder brother.

Each count of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.