On October 17^th, 2012, an Islamist from Bangladesh approached the Federal Reserve Bank of Manhattan with the intention to plant a bomb and watch the building and millions of dollars fly up in flames. According to the Examiner, the police arrested an Islamic terrorist who is named Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis. The Bangladesh national was napped by members of the FBI-NYDP before he could carry out his elaborate plot, but almost made it to the reserve on Wall Street to carry out what would have been a disastrous and fatal act of terrorism. Reports claim that Nafis was attempting to detonate a 1,000 pound improvised explosive device in front of the of the Federal Reserve’s Bank headquarters on Liberty Street. The Federal Reserve is in the center of the busy financial center in Manhattan. Had the bomb been real, it may have caused untold damage in the city. Reports claim that the bomb that Nafis received was not real. It was a decoy that was provided by undercover law enforcement agents who suspected Nafis of terrorism.

The Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) stated that the general public was never in any danger during the undercover operation because the bomb was actually fabricated. Throughout the investigation, the FBI agents and the NYPD worked with the JTTF to closely monitor Nafis while he tried to proceed with his bomb plot. The 21-year-old terrorist entered the United States using a student visa early at the beginning of this year and attempted to recruit other Islamists to assist in a large-scale terrorist attack. Nafis also discussed his potential terror targets on an internet discussion board which was monitored by the JTTF. The force says that the student would talk to other “want to be al-Qaeda” members and strategize how they would plant bombs and detonate important landmarks.

Because all conversations on the message board were monitored, the JTTF knew where Nafis was and what his plans were. An undercover agent joined the message board where Nafis was communicating and provided him with a fabricated bomb. Nafis and the undercover agent then drove to the Federal Reserve Bank where he planned to detonate the bomb with his cell phone. After placing the bomb in the correct spot, Nafis hit the trigger on his phone, but there was not explosion. Instead, a massive team of law enforcement agents rushed out and arrested the attempting terrorist for his crime. The New York City Police Commissioner says that the city has recorded 15 plots like this one since the 9/11 attacks. He warned all residents of Manhattan to be vigilant whenever they were walking about the streets and to notify the NYPD of any suspicious characters.

Even though Nafis never carried out his crime, he will be tried for terrorism and may spend the rest of his life in prison as a result. The FBI Acting Assistant Director says that attempting to destroy a landmark building and kill or maim an untold number of bystanders is a serious issue and the defendant will face very severe consequences. The FBI places their highest priority on intervening in acts of terrorism, and courts take acts of terrorism very seriously. Nafis appeared before a Brooklyn court on Wednesday afternoon and faced charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material to support al-Qaeda. He was ordered held without bail and is currently in jail awaiting a sentence. He may be transferred to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba because he is not a U.S. citizen. Contact a criminal defense attorney today if you have been arrested for a suspected act of terrorism and want to defend yourself against the charges.