Middle Easterners stopped in a NY Taxi...in Maine

WMTW News 8 ^ | 03/18/03 | Preech1

[Preech1]

NYC cab that aroused suspicion is stopped in Brewer Tuesday, March18, 2003, 12:53 PM

BANGOR (AP) -- A New York City taxi cab that aroused suspicion Tuesday morning in Maine was stopped in Brewer, and at least one of the occupants is being detained.

Steve McCausland of the Maine Public Safety Department says the sight of a New York taxi heading Down East was unusual enough for someone to report it to state police, and a teletype was issued early Tuesday.

Police eventually stopped the taxi carrying two men and a woman less than an hour later Tuesday morning in Brewer. One of the occupants owned the cab.

McCausland says one or two of the occupants have been detained because of possible immigration issues. For now, they're at the Penobscot County Sheriff's Department in Bangor.

[Preech1]

Keep your eyes open, folks...and keep the cell phones handy.

[Maeve]

Leaving the City and getting as far away as they can because they know something that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

[jiggyboy]

Even for a NYC cabbie, that's a long way to get to LaGuardia.

[dirtboy]

A New York City taxi cab that aroused suspicion Tuesday morning in Main

The ultimate Henry Hudson Parkway fare booster. "Cabbie, isn't that the Bush summer home?" "Nah, there's a house in Soho that looks just like it..."

[Shermy]

Maybe headed for Canada due to the INS upcoming deadline.

[Senator Pardek]

Dumb question, but how do you know they're Middle Eastern?

[Preech1]

Maybe there was a rendezvous planned, check this website http://www.islamicfinder.org/getitWorld.php?id=492&lang=

This place is within 3 miles of where they were stopped, and less than 4 miles from my home.

[Solson]

You're SURPRISED by a Middle Eastern in a TAXI???

It was 99% the DRIVER!!

[OPS4]

They had 7-11 coffee cups!and were headed for the dollar store!

Ops4 God Bless America!

[Paul Atreides]

And, to think that poor Danny Glover can't even get a cab!

[Preech1]

Also they were shown on the television news at noon here...let me step back and say they LOOKED Middle Eastern, anyhow...could have been Pakistani or Afghani for all I know...just going on radio report as well as the discussion that took place on the scanner.

[NativeNewYorker]

The cabs often represent the only capital these guys have. If they want to go on a holiday, they drive somewhere. I personally know cabbies who have done this.

But, obviously, at this time, being an illegal and driving a NY cab more than 50 miles from Grand Central is asking for trouble.

[Nita Nuprez]

Yeah, answer the Senator. How do you know they're Middle Eastern? You changed the title!

There's a REASON we have that rule around here, ya know.

[Preech1]

I am surprised to see them up here in the Bangor area..."Y'all know we don't git too many of them there flatlander foreigners in these here parts..."

[Nita Nuprez]

Also they were shown on the television news at noon here...

Never mind.

Shaddup, Pardek.

[Preech1]

Read post #11

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

McCausland says one or two of the occupants have been detained because of possible immigration issues.

They should have driven to Seattle where the Council just voted to forbid the police from asking their immigration status.

[Madame Dufarge]

One of the newspeople from WVOM was interviewed by Howie Carr about this a short time ago.

I believe she said they were Pakistanis, had been transported to Portland for further questioning, and that there were immigration "issues."

They were supposedly headed to Calais to cross over into Canada.

[mountaineer]

WLBZ account adds interesting info at the end:

There was an unusual chain of events this morning in Brewer. Police arrested two people who were riding in a cab from New York City.

A man and a woman were arrested around 10:30 Tuesday morning. A cab from New York City was pulled over after Maine State Police issued an alert --- urging police to keep an eye out for the cab marked NYC Taxi number 9M69. Authorities say the passengers are being held because of immigration issues.

Police and an inspector from the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection spent two hours in front of the Citgo on South Main Street. The cab driver was released. After the two passengers were arrested, police took the luggage out of the trunk and piled it into another cruiser.

The Department of Homeland Security is now handling the case.

http://www.wlbz2.com/newscenter/article.asp?id=5430

[Sacajaweau]

Because Americans put the Hotel Towels in their luggage.