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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| More on Lionel Dumont in Japan |
| 2004-05-19 |
| An Algerian Frenchman believed to be a middle-standing member of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network entered Japan at least two times between 2002 and 2003, and stayed in the country for seven months, public safety authorities have confirmed. The man, Lionel Dumont, was arrested by German Police in December last year on suspicion of murder and other crimes. A fake passport in his possession revealed that he had entered Japan. Dumont had been on an international wanted list following the bombing of a French police headquarters in 1996. It is the first time that an Al-Qaeda member has been confirmed entering Japan since the terrorist attacks in the United States in September 2001. Public safety authorities suspect Dumont was raising funds and developing support groups while he was in the country, and are working to uncover his activities. Investigators said that while Dumont was in Japan, he used a certificate of alien registration bearing a false name to set up an account at a Japanese post office. Money in the range of several hundred thousand yen was deposited into and withdrawn from this account several times. When he entered Japan, he had used a forged passport bearing the name Gerald Camille Armond Tinet. He also reportedly used this name for the certificate of alien registration. While he was in the country, he registered a cell phone using the post office account, officials said. He used the phone to contact at least 20 businesses and individuals. Reports said another Al-Qaeda member was believed to be among the people he contacted. His trips to Japan were uncovered in the fake passport when he was arrested in Germany on suspicion of robbery and murdering a police officer. Japanese public safety authorities confirmed that he had entered Japan in July 2002 and left in October that year, before returning in March 2003 and leaving in July. After entering the country in 2002, he stayed in an apartment rented by a used car sales firm operated by a Pakistani man in Niigata. He reportedly worked at the firm while staying in the apartment. In July last year Japan added Dumont to a list of Al-Qaeda and related people whose assets have been frozen. German reports said he was a middle-standing member of the terrorist organization who had been trained at an Al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 okay... it's late an maybe LH wont Preshwar. But Lionel Dumont is the bastard child of Margaret and Harpo. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-05-19 7:26:25 PM |
| #1 Lionel Dumont? He sounds like a fag butler in a British movie. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-05-19 1:42:29 PM |