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Nephew Claims Subway Bomb Plotter's Dad Told Him To Destroy Evidence
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 19, 2011
Modified Jul 19, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 19, 2011
Modified Jul 19, 2011
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The father of the man who admitted to plotting to bomb the NYC subways is on trial for allegedly lying to federal authorities and destroying evidence—and his nephew testified that, yes, Mohammed Wali Zazi did tell relatives to destroy bomb-making supplies his son stored in Colorado.
Najibullah Zazi, who lived in Queens and had been a coffee cart vendor in lower Manhattan before moving to Colorado, was arrested in 2009 for plotting to bomb the 1, 2, 3, and 6 trains with friends. Zazi, who had been buying beauty supplies to make bombs and attempting to rent U-Haul vans, He pleaded guilty in 2010. According to Najibullah Zazi's cousin, Amnullah Zazi, his uncle Mohammed instructed them to "cut up bomb-making materials with a knife and hid the pieces in a little boy's school backpack" and also revealed "the destruction of evidence began shortly after another family member found plastic containers of chemicals, masks and goggles stored in his Denver garage." They also dumped chemicals down the bathroom drain.
However, the NY Times reports that Amanullah Zazi "offered confusing and at times conflicting testimony during about three hours on the witness stand. He admitted that he had repeatedly lied to agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and noted that he had not revealed until last month that his uncle had ordered others to destroy evidence."
Tagged
bomb plot
Mohammed Zazi
Najibullah Zazi
subway bomb plot
terror plot
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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