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FBI, NYPD conduct terrorism sweeps
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Authorities conducted raids in New York and Connecticut as part of the FBI manhunt for five men who entered the country illegally, a law enforcement source told CNN Tuesday. A number of people from Pakistan and the Mideast were brought in for questioning after Monday night's raids on six locations, the source said. All were released by late Tuesday. The FBI said finding the five men is a top priority for the agency. Their pictures have been released to the public and 18,000 law enforcement agencies around the country. The agency identified them as Abid Noraiz Ali, 25; Iftikhar Khozmai Ali, 21; Mustafa Khan Owasi, 33; Adil Pervez, 19; and Akbar Jamal, 28. But an FBI statement said those names and ages may be fictitious. The bureau said the five men are wanted for questioning "based on information developed in the course of ongoing investigations." Law enforcement sources said the FBI was alerted to the men in the course of a separate investigation into a Pakistani smuggling ring that provided people with fake visas and passports. Members of the FBI's and New York Police Department's Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted four raids in Brooklyn and Queens, the source said, and at least one of the others was in New Haven, Connecticut. It was not known what types of locations were raided. Authorities had no indication of a terrorist attack planned at this time, the source said. The five men are believed to have crossed into upstate New York from Canada with fake British passports on or around December 24. Authorities also want to question 14 other people believed to have entered the United States illegally around the same time, the source said. None of the five men are known to have criminal records or ties to known terrorist organizations. But President Bush said Tuesday federal authorities are treating every lead seriously. "We need to know why they're in the country, what they're doing in the country. And if anybody has any information about the five, I would hope they would contact their local authorities," Bush told reporters in Crawford, Texas, where he was spending the holiday. Federal officials said tips from the public have come from across the country, but none so far has led to an arrest. Law enforcement sources said the search is considered "very serious," in part because of recent attacks overseas, a high level of "chatter" among intelligence sources and the prospect of a possible U.S. war with Iraq. The Transportation Security Administration placed the men on a "no-fly" list advising airlines and airport workers not to allow them aboard aircraft. Those having information about the five are asked to contact the nearest FBI office. No information exists linking the men with possible terrorist activity, and there is nothing to suggest that New York might be a target, authorities said. But the fact that city hosts one of the biggest New Year's Eve celebrations raised the level of concern, and air space over New York was restricted for the holiday. At a news conference Monday, New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said there was no evidence suggesting the men were in the city. He said the police department had received information from the FBI, but he didn't give any other details. CNN Correspondent Kelli Arena and Producer Jamie McShane contributed to this report.
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