Pakistani Nationals in N J Detained

TRENTON, N.J. November 14th, 2001 — Two Hamilton Township residents questioned last month by federal authorities investigating the mailing of anthrax-contaminated letters are being detained by Immigration and Naturalization Service. FBI agents last month arrested Pakistani nationals Muhammad "Asif" Khan and Tariq Maqsood at a Hamilton apartment complex. The two are being held at the Hudson County Correctional Center in Kearny because they do not have valid visas, immigration attorney Vinaya Saijwani told The Times of Trenton for Wednesday's editions. The men were questioned about the anthrax letters, but neither has been charged with involvement in terrorist activity, she said.

An immigration judge has cleared Maqsood for release provided he return to Pakistan, but the FBI still needs to clear him, she said.

Khan's wife, Betty, is a Guatemalan who is in the country legally and has not been detained, Saijwani said.

Saijwani told The Times that Khan was picked up because he is Pakistani and was living in the apartment complex where Mohammad Aslam Pervez once lived.

Pervez, of Jersey City, has been charged with lying about more than $110,000 in money orders written between 1995 and 1996. He also is reportedly being questioned about his roommates, Mohammed Jaweed Azmath and Ayub Ali Khan. The two were arrested aboard a train Sept. 12 in Fort Worth, Texas, and found to be carrying box cutters, $5,000 in cash and hair dye.

Maqsood overstayed his visa and was unlucky enough to be at Muhammad Khan's apartment when it was raided Oct. 29, Saijwani said.

Saijwani said Muhammad Khan was given a polygraph test and asked about Pervez, but she would not detail how he answered or what the test results indicated.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News