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Three Iranian immigrants arrested at Pilgrim nuclear plant in Plymouth
Hat tip to DrudgeThree men caught with camera equipment on the grounds surrounding the nuclear power plant were arrested and interrogated by federal and local authorities. The trio, who police say came to the United States as teenagers from Iran, were spotted at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station Saturday morning walking along a restricted beach near the plant. They were arrested on trespassing charges. The men told authorities they were hiking. uh huh...in those shoes? "It sounded at first a little ominous," said David F. Tarantino, spokesman for Entergy, owner of the plant. "The beach is very difficult to navigate. It is not like a stroll along a sandy beach. It is a beach with big boulders and rocks. It is really a tough exercise to navigate." The men told authorities they were touring Plymouth, he said. "They said they like to hike and they were hiking along the shore," he said. Fariborz Motamedi, 42, of 23 Panettieri Drive, Lakeville; Amir M. Lashgari, 41, of 2001 Marina Drive, Quincy, and Hamid H. Ahmadi, 49, of 7 Brahman Drive, Norton, were arrested, charged and later released after extensive questioning by authorities. Attempts to reach the three men this morning were unsuccessful. A phone number listed to Motamedi in Taunton was disconnected and there was no listing for him in Lakeville. There was no phone listing for Ahmadi in Norton. The number of Lashgari in Quincy was nonpublished. Plant security staff first noticed the three men as they neared the posted restricted area and stopped them when they got in, Tarantino said. "They had been under constant surveillance," he said. Plymouth police and the FBI were called in and digital camera equipment the men had with them was confiscated, he said. Authorities examined all the photographs, he said. There were no known photographs of the plant taken, he said. The men told police they parked at White Horse Beach and hiked onto the grounds. Police said the men had been in town before in the last two weeks. Tarantino said security surrounding the plant has been increased since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. There have been several arrests of people who have crossed into the restricted area, either by land or water, he said. Those cases included a person in a kayak who landed on the beach and fishermen who strayed into restricted waters. "Our policy is to arrest," Tarantino said of anyone who strays into the restricted area surrounding the plant. shoot first might be better? maybe not...but at least surveillance and securityâs working Posted by: Frank G 2003-09-30 |
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