Mohammed Saif-ur-Rehman Khan, a 28-year old Pakistani man completing an internship at a hotel in Chile, was arrested and has been charged with illegally possessing explosives, but has been released while prosecutors build a case against him, provided that he check in weekly with authorities. He was arrested last week after setting off detectors that check for explosives while at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago. Officials said, in a closed hearing on Saturday, that the detectors at the Embassy had found residues of TNT and tetryl, explosive materials, on his cell phone and documents, and these same particles were found on clothing, a suitcase, and a laptop bag after a search of Khan's apartment.
Khan came to Chile on a student visa, and a senior U.S. official says that he has "associated himself with a group that we have some knowledge of that was espousing extremist anti-Western views." Khan was on a watch-list because of this and he has been tracked for some time, and the association with this group was enough to call him to the U.S. Embassy to revoke his visa. He had been detained in Santiago for five days following his arrest, and prosecutors requested that he remain in jail during the investigation, but Judge Carolina Araya ruled that he need not be deprived of his freedom, considering his lack of a prior criminal record and lack of evidence suggesting flight risk.
Submitted by: Katie Kregor
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