A New York City cab driver, Sayed Abdul Malike, was arrested in May 2003 after allegedly negotiating a purchase of explosives, armor and drugs with a sting operative, and investigating bridges and ships near Miami, Florida.
[1] Malike legally entered the United States from Afghanistan on September 26, 1996, and was awarded political refugee status in 1998 with help from immigration lawyer Eric Levine.
He allegedly ripped his shirt off and "went berserk", and began banging his head on the car shouting about the "Giuliani Police State",[4][5] while he claims that officer William Finnie beat him.
[2][8] The FBI was dispatched and conducted an interview with Malike, who assured them he was just a tourist taking photos with his camera phone,[6] denied having any source of income other than his taxi occupation, left his film with them and was released.
Malike then told Garcia that he wanted to purchase five stolen bulletproof vests, night vision goggles, a "half-case of C-4", Viagra, 50 Valium and 50 sleeping pills, and bulletproof-plating and a camera to mount on his car, stating that he needed the equipment to build a gem mine in Afghanistan and would therefore need enough C-4 "to blow up a mountain", a statement widely repeated in media outlets after his arrest.