Man who sold fake IDs to hijackers flees US
A man who US investigators said sold fake identification papers to two of the September 11 hijackers fled to Egypt hours before authorities raided his home and businesses today.
Mohamad El Atriss operated businesses in New Jersey, where he sold the IDs, said Passaic County Sheriff Jerry Speziale.
Police raided his home and office this afternoon and were told he had flown to Egypt this morning, Speziale said.
Atriss sold a fake identification card to Khalid Almihdhar, who was on Flight 77 as it hit the Pentagon, and one to hijacker Abdul Aziz Alomari from Flight 11, which hit the World Trade Centre, Speziale said.
Authorities said they had 75 fake IDs that Atriss generated and sold for up to €800 each, though they believed he made many more.
The IDs included international driver’s licences and New Jersey state ID cards, neither of which legally exist.
Today’s raids followed a four month investigation.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Paper Trail, began after police starting finding similar fake IDs, Speziale said.
