A court document provides details in the case of a teen arrested for plotting terrorist activities.
Mahin Khan, 18, of Tuscan, Arizona,was arrested last week for planning to commit acts of terror on government buildings in two Arizona counties, following an investigation carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
The court document gives details that the FBI relayed to the Arizona attorney office, which ultimately led to Khan’s arrest.
The heavily redacted document reveals communications Khan made with two men: an undisclosed individual, and a man named Abid Manoor.
Earlier in date is a series of email exchanges Khan made with Manoor, from January to March 2016, in which Khan told Manoor “I’m a ISIL and TTP supporter looking to perform a MO” (likely referring to martyrdom operation) and asked whether Manoor was with the TTP (referring to the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan group).
Khan also made multiple requests for weapons. When Mansoor replied that the weapons had to be paid for and asked who Khan intended to use the weapons against, Khan said that he wanted an “AK” (likely referring to AK 47 weapon), and then “Nevermind. Pressure cookie?” Mansoor replied “Yes avaialbel” [sic], to which Khan wrote “Send me pressure cookie revepir[.]”(likely referring to instructions for constructing an explosive device).
In a telephone conversation with an undisclosed person in April, Khan made statements suggesting that he was planning an attack. Khan asked if the person was located in Mission Bay, California, calling the area a “pretty good target,” and adding, “there’s a lot of people there.”
During the conversation, Khan asked to be supplied with two assault rifles and a pistol, and said that he would send over photographs. He also alluded to an Air Force recruitment center in Tuscan.
Khan also told the person that he had reached out to a TTP member asking for a pressure cooker bomb recipe (codename for a type of explosive device), after which he allowed the person access to his series of emails with Manoor.
News of Khan’s arrest was not surprising to those who knew the teen. A former classmate of KHAN opened up to KGUN9 about the teen’s radical political views and erratic behavior.
Khan is currently being held without bond at Maricopa County Jail.
