FBI arrest dangerous goods haulers

Ten people have been arrested by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for fraudulently obtaining commercial trucking licenses to haul dangerous goods.

Although the arrests carried out in Seattle, Detroit and Kansas City have not been linked to any terrorist plots, Attorney General John Ashcroft said that several people with links to the Sept. 11 hijackers carried licenses to haul dangerous goods.

In fact, an FBI memo to the American Trucking Association (ATA) warned them that there were uncomfirmed threats involving the “use of chemical, biological and/or radiological/nuclear WMD (weapons of mass destruction).” The memo asked the ATA to make truckers aware of the situation and keep an eye open for suspicious behavior.

Those charged yesterday are facing charges of conspiracy to possess and obtain false and fraudulent identification documents, specifically commercial driver’s licenses with a “hazardous materials endorsement.”