A huge weapons stockpile including assault rifles, loaded handguns, flak jackets and ammunition feeding devices has been seized at a Muslim compound by New York State police, after an operation that a police major describes as a “tremendous blessing” that may have prevented a “large scale tragedy.”
A long-time associate of a U.S.-based organization, Muslims of America (MOA), has been arrested in New York following the discovery of the weapons cache that was intended for MOA’s “Islamberg” headquarters in Hancock, NY.
Ramadan Abdullah, 64, was arrested in Johnson City, NY, and is no stranger to law enforcement. Abdullah was previously arrested along with another man in 1977 after a botched robbery of a Brooklyn candy store ended in murder.
At the time, police searched Abdullah’s home and discovered enough explosive material to build 50 bombs. Even so, the charges against Abdullah were ultimately reduced.
DML reports: However, 40 years later, he has been arrested again. On May 31, after attempting to steal four boxes of ammunition from a local Gander Mountain store, Abdullah was questioned by police about the purpose of the ammunition. His answers raised suspicion among police who obtained a search warrant for a storage locker he was renting in the town of Union.
During the search, the police discovered the following:
- 8 assault weapons
- 4 loaded handguns
- 1 loaded shotgun
- 2 rifles
- 64 high-capacity ammunition feeding devices
- flak jackets
- Thousands of rounds of ammunition, including .50-caliber armor-piercing rounds
Police searched other residences linked to Abdullah and found an additional loaded handgun, and more high-capacity ammunition feeding devices and ammunition, including .38-caliber rounds.
The discovery sheds light on MOA’s “Islamberg” headquarters.
For over two decades, this cult-like group of Sharia Law-following Muslims have lived quietly under the guidance of Pakistani Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani, a radical Muslim with known ties to Jamaat al-Fuqra, a terror organization responsible for a long list of terrorist activities around the world, including murders of rival religious figures in the United States.
New York State Police Major Jim Barnes declined to confirm whether Abdullah was associated with terrorist groups or organizations, but noted that police believe Abdullah had traveled overseas.
“There’s no indications there was a plan in place to commit an act of violence. However, it begs the question, what was he doing with all this and what were his intentions down the road?” Barnes said.
Johnson City Police Chief Brent Dodge said, “It’s just a tremendous blessing to be able to take all these high power weapons and high power ammunition off the streets, and who knows what kind of large scale tragedy that this investigation may have prevented later down the road.”
Abdullah is currently being held without bail in the Broome County Jail.