MO - FBI on alert after dozens of propane tanks stolen & lg purchases of prepaid phones

[popsicle]

At the end of November, a BP gas station in Lee`s Summit reported 18-20 propane tanks stolen from the outside cages. That same night the CVS on Southwest 3rd Street reported the exact same crime.

Two weeks later, the CVS on East 23rd Street in Independence was hit, and 28 tanks were stolen from that location.

http://fox4kc.com/2015/12/10/dozens-of-propane-tanks-stolen-from-3-different-metro-locations/


Sixty were purchased Saturday in Lebanon, Missouri at 3:50 am, and hours before, at another Walmart store in Columbia about 100 miles away, another 40 were sold.

This week, a third Walmart location in Macon, Missouri, reported a suspicious cell phone sale, and Thursday, a fourth location in Jefferson City reported a similar bulk purchase.

http://www.bizpacreview.com/2015/12...source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&hvid=3VqaMa

 

[MIKAYOYO]

Yikes. That doesn't sound comforting at all.

 

[Cubby]

Uh oh, this doesn't sound good.

 

[katydid23]

has there been any description of the people who purchased the guns?

Young /old/ ? white/latino/asian/arab/african American?

 

[katydid23]

If they are older, short haired white guys they might be right wing nutjobs or white supremacists.

 

[popsicle]

has there been any description of the people who purchased the guns?

Young /old/ ? white/latino/asian/arab/african American?

Only on 2 of the cell phone purchases.


It began late last week when “Middle Eastern men” reportedly depleted the stock in pre-paid cell phonesat two Missouri Walmart locations, alerting local law enforcement and FBI officials.

 

[Sonya610]

If they are older, short haired white guys they might be right wing nutjobs or white supremacists.

From popsicle's second link:

It began late last week when “Middle Eastern men” reportedly depleted the stock in pre-paid cell phones at two Missouri Walmart locations, alerting local law enforcement and FBI officials.

Sixty were purchased Saturday in Lebanon, Missouri at 3:50 am, and hours before, at another Walmart store in Columbia about 100 miles away, another 40 were sold.

This week, a third Walmart location in Macon, Missouri, reported a suspicious cell phone sale, and Thursday, a fourth location in Jefferson City reported a similar bulk purchase.

If they plan to use them to detonate bombs that will be one heck of a fireworks show!

Hard to believe they would use propane tanks though, they are large, heavy and would be very hard to conceal. Pipe bombs are another story entirely.

 

[Nana]

If they are older, short haired white guys they might be right wing nutjobs or white supremacists.

I'm glad that's been said and out of the way.

 

[Nana]

From popsicle's second link:



If they plan to use them to detonate bombs that will be one heck of a fireworks show!

Hard to believe they would use propane tanks though, they are large, heavy and would be very hard to conceal. Pipe bombs are another story entirely.

I saw something the other day about them being used as/on launchers

 

[Sonya610]

I saw something the other day about them being used as/on launchers

The propane tanks?

 

[Nana]

The propane tanks?

Yes

Google hell cannon

 

[Elley Mae]

Maybe their on their way to hook up with this guy, http://www.usnews.com/news/offbeat/...the-beef-trucker-steals-40-000-pounds-of-meat and then after that they can hook up with this guy and roast some nuts. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/01/thieves-are-ravaging-californias-nut-farms.html

 

[Momoffourboys]

Missouri cellphone purchases and propane thefts are noted, but authorities see no link

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article49272780.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Tillicum]

Ugh :gaah: Why hasn't this been reported anywhere else? No follow up anywhere that I can find.

Man who resembles missing Afghan seen in Colquitt County

http://www.timesenterprise.com/news...cle_ca1ddeee-a022-11e5-aa7b-87304a896a22.html

 

[Elley Mae]

Ugh :gaah: Why hasn't this been reported anywhere else? No follow up anywhere that I can find.

Man who resembles missing Afghan seen in Colquitt County

http://www.timesenterprise.com/news...cle_ca1ddeee-a022-11e5-aa7b-87304a896a22.html

bbm,
I am aggravated daily by the lack of true coverage of what is going on and not the media's narrative. An example is below. I only read about the stabbing and never looked back, then I see that there is more to the story then first reported. It has not hit mainstream media I assume because of the other things that have taken priority. jmo idk


4 stabbed on UC Merced campus; suspect killed by police

http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news...uc-merced-campus-suspect-apprehended/36254312

.......................................................

The California college student who stabbed four people last month in a campus spree that ended when he was killed by campus police was described by his roommate as "an extreme Muslim" and carried a manifesto and a photocopy of an ISIS flag -- more than enough to convince John Price he was a terrorist.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/1...et-more-questions-about-college-knife-attack/

 

[Isabelle]

Phones and tanks stolen for resale? Hoping there's video of the perps.

 

[Mountaingazer]

Are there any major events coming up in Missouri?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[bluesneakers]

Are there any major events coming up in Missouri?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Christmas and NYE. Other than that I don't know.

What are you thinking?

 

[Mountaingazer]

Christmas and NYE. Other than that I don't know.

What are you thinking?

Oh people seemed to think this is likely terrorist related so I was just wondering if they had any specific "targets" in mind. I am not convinced it's terrorism related yet myself.

My Middle Eastern friend just bought 40 phones at Walmart early in the morning himself. They were at a very steep discount and he wanted to buy a number of them for his market and Cafe so he went early before they sold out.

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[K_Z]

Nana's comment above about "hell cannons" is exactly correct. An empty propane cylinder is a multipurpose container, and can be re-purposed for an improvised explosive device. Remember that the Boston Marathon bombers used pressure cookers. I can think of a least a dozen ways to use propane cylinders to quickly construct a very dangerous car or truck bomb.

If I can think of that, others who are far more "creatively driven" to wreak mass terrorism can also think of even more diabolical methods. I'm deeply hopeful that the FBI are all over this, even as the news media is barely covering it.

More on the cell phones:

The FBI has launched an investigation after 150 prepaid mobile phones were bought from local Walmarts in Missouri. This comes after the theft of dozens of propane tanks in the area.
The large number of purchases took place at six Missouri Walmarts at least, authorities say, according to KRCG13.

A large portion of the phones were bought by “three men with accents” at one Walmart near the town of Lebanon, Jefferson City police said. The purchases were made very late, at 3:50am local time on Saturday, authorities said for 59 of the phones. Although the three men were questioned by authorities, nothing further could be done, as there were no grounds for detention.

It was then that the FBI was notified by the Laclede County Sheriff.

The second instance of large purchases was registered on Monday by police in Columbia, two hours north of Lebanon. Five or more men were behind that purchase, which occurred last Friday at 9:30pm.

The same issue is being investigated by Macon Police, where a purchase happened on Saturday, as well as Jackson Police, who are investigating the purchase of 48 prepaid phones on Friday, and Cape Girardieu, where 10 cell phones were purchased, according to KFVS.

BBM

https://www.rt.com/usa/325571-phones-propane-terrorist-missouri/

Local police departments and sheriffs offices in Macon, Lebanon, Jefferson City, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Ava said they received reports of people buying large numbers of cellphones from Wal-Mart stores. Sometimes police talked to the buyers. Sometimes they arrived too late. Such purchases are legal, so there were no arrests.

Laclede County Sheriff Wayne Merritt called the purchase of 59 phones in Lebanon before 4 a.m. Dec. 5 “very suspicious.”

In Macon, Macon County Sheriff’s Sgt. Curt Glover said, “I do not feel there’s an immediate threat to the community. This has been going on for the last 15 years. They sell them and make a whole lot more money on them than” they pay.

In south-central Missouri, a Wal-Mart clerk in Lebanon called police when shortly before 4 a.m. Dec. 5, two men were purchasing dozens of prepaid cellphones. The men, one from Iowa and the other from Dearborn, Mich., alternated paying for the phones with their company credit cards, said Merritt. Store policy apparently limits the purchase of the phones to two at a time.

In all, he said, the two men bought 59 phones there.

Police talked with the buyers, who were told there was nothing illegal about the purchases. Police also checked for outstanding warrants before sending the men on their way, the sheriff said.

“I just tell my people not to be tagging people” based on ethnicity “or being suspicious, but to pay attention and give us a call. We like to be informed of that stuff so we’re not surprised by anything,” Merritt said. “But it’s suspicious. It’s very suspicious.”

The Lebanon Police Department issued a brief statement, saying, “Upon speaking (with) the two males, it was determined that there was no further reason to detain the subjects, and they were allowed to leave.” It said it had passed along the information to the FBI.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article49272780.html#storylink=cpy