Man accused of trying to buy large amounts of explosives...

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/05/22/explosives.arrest/index.html

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A New York City man was arraigned Wednesday on charges of drug possession and making false statements after he allegedly attempted to buy large quantities of explosives from an undercover FBI agent, according to the criminal complaint.

Sayed Abdul Malike, a legal U.S. resident, allegedly told Todd Renner -- an FBI special agent assigned to the Joint Terrorist Task Force in New York -- he wanted to buy enough C-4 explosives "to blow up a mountain."

Task force members arrested Malike on Tuesday.

The investigation of Malike began in late March after a Queens store owner told police that the suspect sought information on making a bomb.

Malike later traveled to Miami, Florida, where he boarded a tourist ship for a sightseeing trip around the port. While videotaping the bridges they passed, he asked the captain of the ship "about the infrastructure of bridges ... and about how close the boat could get to the bridges and cruise ships," Renner recounted in a court deposition.

The captain reported Malike's behavior to the Coast Guard, and FBI agents later interviewed Malike in Miami. He claimed to be taking tourist pictures, left the video with the agents and was allowed to leave.

After Malike returned to New York, the Queens store owner directed him to an undercover agent posing as an illegal explosives supplier, the complaint states.

During a series of several meetings with the undercover agent, all of which the agent recorded, Malike attempted to buy five bulletproof vests, night vision goggles, a camera for the front of his car, 50 sleeping pills,100 Valium pills and a half-case of C-4 for $10,000, according to FBI documents.

The agent sold Malike the Valium and placebo sleeping pills for $150, and Malike repeated his interest in purchasing the explosives, but "he still didn't have a place to store it, " according to federal affidavits. FBI agents arrested Malike immediately after he bought the pills.

During his interrogation by the agents, Malike "repeatedly lied" about his interaction with the store owner, his interest in acquiring explosives, his trip to Florida and his finances, Renner said in the deposition.



So what are your thoughts on this? Could this just be one of many captured? Is there anything behind this?