Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The noose around Pakistan based terrorist organizations tightened on Saturday as the United States federal authorities indicted six individuals located in South Florida and Pakistan on charges of providing financing and other material support to a Pakistani terrorist organization.
Hafiz Khan and his son Izhar Khan were arrested by FBI on Saturday in South Florida while Irfan Khan was arrested in Los Angeles and there was no immediate explanation what Irfan, a resident of Miami was doing in L.A.
Officials said the arrested would be produced in court on Monday, May 16 and if convicted, each faces a potential 15 years in prison for each count of the indictment.
“Three other individuals residing in Pakistan, Ali Rehman, aka “Faisal Ali Rehman;” Alam Zeb; and Amina Khan, aka “Amina Bibi,” are also charged in the indictment. Amina Khan is the daughter of Khan and her son, Alam Zeb, is Khan’s grandson,” the Justice Department said in an announcement.
“The four-count indictment charges Hafiz Muhammed Sher Ali Khan (hereafter “Khan”), 76, a U.S. citizen and resident of Miami; his son Irfan Khan, 37, a U.S. citizen and resident of Miami; and one of his other sons, Izhar Khan, 24, a U.S. citizen and resident of North Lauderdale, Fla.,” said the announcement.
Prosecutors alleged the group as engaged in raising funds in the U.S. to buy weapons for Taliban terrorists and providing safe heavens in Madrassas operating in Pakistan.
“Khan supported the Pakistani Taliban through a madrassa, or Islamic school, that he founded and controlled in the Swat region of Pakistan,” the Justice Department said, adding, “Khan has allegedly used the madrassa to provide shelter and other support for the Pakistani Taliban and has sent children from his madrassa to learn to kill Americans in Afghanistan.”
“Today terrorists have lost another funding source to use against innocent people and U.S. interests. We will not allow this country to be used as a base for funding and recruiting terrorists,” said John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Office.
“I remind everyone that the Muslim and Arab-American members of our community should never be judged by the illegal activities of a few,” Gillies said in a statement.
Originally hailing from Pakistan, two of the defendants are connected to several mosques in the Miami area.
“Hafiz Khan is the Imam at the Miami Mosque, also known as the Flagler Mosque, in Miami while His son, Izhar Khan, is an Imam at the Jamaat Al-Mu’mineen Mosque in Margate, Fla.,” the Justice Department said.
The charges were announced on Saturday by Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office, and the members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
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