Three “volatile and evasive” men pulled over for a traffic stop in New York state were found with a crate of 89 firearms they were trying to smuggle into Canada, authorities said.
Canadian citizen Malik Bromfield, 22, Pakistani citizen Faizan Ali, 25, and Kamal Salman, 22, a citizen of Canada, the United States and Jordan were charged following a joint operation involving the New York State Police (NYSP), the FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
New York State Troopers pulled over the trio’s rented white Ford Explorer shortly after 6 p.m. on May 7 after observing traffic violations on State Route 90. Police asked the three men to come out for questioning.
“During the roadside interview … (troopers) observed that the defendants were giving inconsistent and evasive accounts in response to NYSP questioning,” according to a sworn complaint by FBI Special Agent Brian Jennings.
An NYSP sniffer dog conducted a sweep of the Explorer’s exterior and a preliminary search revealed an extremely heavy suitcase containing a large quantity of firearms. They also allegedly found approximately $3,000 in United States currency, in $100 bills, in the glove box.
