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New York grand jury indicts terror suspect Zazi

By DNAinfo Staff on September 25, 2009 9:43am

Terror suspect Najibullah Zazi leaves his apartment in Aurora, Colo., for a meeting with his attorney on Sept. 17.
Terror suspect Najibullah Zazi leaves his apartment in Aurora, Colo., for a meeting with his attorney on Sept. 17.
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AP Photo/Ed Andrieski

Terror suspect Najibullah Zazi has been indicted on charges he conspired to use weapons of mass destruction, specifically bombs, against New York, federal prosecutors said.

Federal officials are now seeking to transfer the Afghani-born Zazi to New York from Colorado to face the new charges which carry the possibility of life in prison, a Justice Department statement said.

Zazi, 24, was arrested in a Denver suburb on Sept. 19 for allegedly lying to federal investigators about his role in the plot. Prosecutors say they will seek dismissal of that charge.

“We are investigating a wide range of leads related to this alleged conspiracy. We believe any imminent threat arising from this case has been disrupted,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in the statement.

Holder also said investigators continue to try to identify other people who may be involved in the plot.

According to court documents, from Brooklyn's Eastern District, Zazi received detailed bomb-making instructions in Pakistan, conducted extensive research on the Internet regarding components of explosive devices, purchased unusually large amounts of chemicals used to make bombs including the type of explosive used in the 2005 London train bombings and intended to be used in the 2001 "shoe bomb" plot by Richard Reid, and traveled to New York City on Sept. 10 in connection with the plot.

The NYPD and FBI counterterrorism experts zeroed in on Zazi and at least two other individuals on suspicion the group had ties to al-Quaeda.

Federal agents said Zazi admitted the terrorist group taught him how to use explosives and weapons during a trip to Pakistan last year, but claimed he knew nothing about the bomb-making guide agents discovered in a laptop inside his car, according to the Associated Press.

Zazi's father, Mohammed Zazi and Queens imam Ahmad Wais Afzali are also charged with lying to investigators.

Lawyers for the suspects have denied all charges.