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AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams
This courtroom sketch shows defendant Najibullah Zazi, (right) Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Knox (left) and William Stampur, defense attorney (center). The former Denver airport shuttle driver admitted to a plot to bomb the New York City subways, saying he was recruited by al-Qaida in Pakistan for a "martyrdom plan" against the United States.
FBI TERRORISM INVESTIGATION
DOCUMENTS
VIDEOS

FBI Seize Surveillance Videos From Aurora U-Hauls

FBI Had Court Orders For Security Videos, U-Haul Says

POSTED: 3:01 pm MDT October 1, 2009
UPDATED: 3:44 pm MDT October 1, 2009

The FBI has seized security video from one or more U-Haul outlets in the Aurora area in a widening investigation to see if terror suspect Najibullah Zazi and other men attempted to rent or purchase trucks or trailers, sources told 7NEWS.

A spokeswoman for U-Haul International, Inc. could not confirm reports that security video taken by the FBI from the Aurora U-Haul outlet on 750 S. Buckley Road showed Zazi and other men inquiring about renting trucks in early September.

"We have cooperated in providing surveillance videos and any information to law enforcement at their request on locations in that (Aurora) area," Joanne Fried said Thursday from U-Haul’s Phoenix headquarters.

She added that FBI agents had a court order for the security videos.

"We do not know what was on the videos," she said. "Nor do I know what (specific) locations we provided surveillance videos from to law enforcement."

There are six Aurora businesses renting U-Haul equipment in Aurora, according to the company Web site.

FBI agents have also inquired about any "unusual" U-Haul rentals by Zazi and possible accomplices at the Texaco Xpress Lube, located at 15533 E. Mississippi Ave., said owner Ryan Ritchie.

Ritchie said agents showed up days before the Afghanistan-born Zazi, an airport shuttle van driver, his father and a New York Muslim cleric were arrested Sept. 19 for allegedly providing false information to the FBI.

Ritchie said he knew Zazi well because he and several other First ABC airport shuttle drivers, all Middle Eastern immigrants, used to bring their vans to the Texaco station for oil changes.

"I woke up one morning and saw him on TV and said, 'That’s one of my customers,'" Ritchie said.

So, when FBI agents showed Ritchie a sheet of photos with about 30 men and one woman, he picked out Zazi and two other men who appeared familiar. The station owner said he wasn't sure if he'd seen the other two men at his business or on TV, but he added the unidentified men were not among his shuttle-driver customers.

Ritchie told investigators that Zazi and others hadn't attempted to rent U-Haul vehicles.

But then last Thursday an ABC Airport Shuttle driver who worked with Zazi came in and asked one of Ritchie's employees if he could buy a 6-by-12-foot U-Haul trailer. When the owner learned of the inquiry the next day, Sept. 25, he called the FBI.

FBI agents told him they would investigate the shuttle driver's background and contact Ritchie again Monday if anything turned up.

"I think it turned out to be nothing, because the FBI never contacted me again," he said.

The 24-year-old Zazi has been indicted by a New York federal grand jury for conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against the United States.

The indictment said surveillance video and receipts show that Zazi purchased liquid developer clairoxide from an Aurora beauty supply store on July 25 and bought 12 32-ounce bottles of "Ms. Kay's Liquid 40 strength" on Aug. 28. That same day, Zazi rented a suite to cook the ingredients, the affidavit said.

Individuals associated with Zazi purchased unusual quantities of hydrogen and acetone on July, August and September from three different beauty supply stores in and around Aurora, the indictment said. Those "associates" have not been named.


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