DETROIT – A fugitive accused of leading a terrorist sleeper cell here has been arrested in North Carolina and will be extradited to Michigan to face charges, authorities said.
The man, initially identified in an indictment as Abdellah, was accused in an August indictment of acting with "a covert underground support unit" and an "operational combat cell" for a radical Islamic movement allied with Al Qaeda.
Court paper, and was ordered held without bond. He will be transferred to Detroit, Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Detroit, said Thursday.
Koubriti, Hannan and Ali-Haimoud pleaded innocent in September to conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists. Their trial is scheduled for Jan. 21.
The indictment suggested the men were involved with an Islamic extremist movement known as Salafiyya, which became associated with Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network.
The government alleges the men were taking actions to "engage in or support holy war or global jihad" and that three of them had discussed in June 2001 that "Islam permitted the killing of innocent civilians."
In the Detroit apartment shared by some of the men, officials discovered false documents, including visas, and a day planner detailing planned attacks in Turkey and Jordan.
A videotape appeared to case U.S. landmarks such as Disneyland in California and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The indictment said the men checked Detroit's airport for gaps in security.
The indictment considers Elmardoudi an expert in airport security operations, telephone calling card fraud and falsifying identification. It lists several aliases for Elmardoudi but does not list a last name or country of origin.
Koubriti and Hannan are from Morocco and Ali-Haimoud is from Algeria.
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