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Federal Agents Are Holding Tanzanian Pilot on Immigration Charges

Aired April 18, 2002 - 11:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Federal agents are holding a Tanzanian man on immigration charges today. They are trying to figure out whether he has ties to al Qaeda. The man was picked up in North Carolina on Monday. This is a story you first heard about right here on CNN, and our national correspondent Susan Candiotti is in Miami tracking it for us. Susan, good morning.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Investigators say so far they have no evidence confirming any link between al Qaeda and this Tanzanian man who is under arrest in North Caroline. He is 44-year-old Issaya Nombo. He is currently being held in custody on immigration charges for overstaying his student visa, which expired in August.

Investigators say that Nombo's name was found on the print-out of a Web site that was found discovered in a cave in Afghanistan by intelligence sources, and then in turn Nombo was tracked to North Carolina. Now, that Web site belongs to a Florida flight school, and joining us now to talk more about the school is its owner, Gary Evans. Gary Evans runs the Voyager Aviation, which is located now in Merit Island, Florida.

There is Gary now. Gary, can you tell us, please -- thank you for joining us -- last May, when Mr. Nombo came to your school, how was it that he came to your school, to the best of your knowledge? How were you selected?

GARY EVANS, VOYAGER AVIATION: I believe -- this is going back nearly a year ago now, but I believe it was through the Internet, through our Web page.

CANDIOTTI: All right. And tell us more about how much he paid for flight certification and what kind of training and how long he was at your school.

EVANS: He paid, I think, just about $2,000 for his course. And the course lasted, I think, maybe no more than two weeks. And that was to obtain his airline transport pilot license, the ATP.

CANDIOTTI: What kind of planes would that allow him to fly?

EVANS: That is pretty much classified to fly any single or multi-engine airplane up to about 12,500 pounds, which is big enough to fly that example there behind us.

CANDIOTTI: And that would include 747s, as we understand it, as well?

EVANS: No.

CANDIOTTI: What did he tell you about what kind of -- go ahead.

EVANS: Yeah, I was going to say, no. To fly any aircraft above 12,500 pounds or one that's jet-rated, you have to have a type rating; in other words, you have to have specific training on that particular make and model, which obviously we don't cater for. We just generally cater for a broader base of general aviation aircraft.

CANDIOTTI: What kind of experience did Mr. Nombo tell you that he had?

EVANS: He had quite a lot of experience, from what I remember. He was a cargo pilot, I think, flying in Africa. Had about 12,000 or 13,000 hours. And I believe he may have flown an aircraft as large as a 747.

CANDIOTTI: Indeed that's what he told you, didn't he, about the level of experience that he had, flying for South Africa Air Ways?

EVANS: No, I don't -- no, I don't remember him saying anything about that. I remember seeing his pilot licenses, and he had a variety of pilot licenses from the various countries in South Africa. But he didn't mention any airlines that he was actually working for.

CANDIOTTI: Finally, Mr. Evans, what kind, if any, background check did you do or do you know whether anyone else did? Because we have learned that there is an outstanding warrant for him, a fugitive warrant out of South Africa. Did you have any knowledge of this, and were you required by law, I understand you weren't, to do any kind of background check, but did you do one on your own?

EVANS: No. The only requirements we have to comply with as far as immigration is concerned for students is that they can read, speak and write the English language, that they have sufficient funds to pay for their training, and, in fact, that they are going to be here on a full-time course.

The onus on background checks, I believe, is the responsibility of the U.S. embassy, whichever country that they are citizens of, they would make an application for their visa, direct that to the U.S. embassy, and the embassy would be responsible for doing any background checks.

CANDIOTTI: Gary Evans, thank you very much for joining us this day. Gary Evans of Voyager Aviation in Merit Island, Florida.

In fact, one of the question, Daryn, that investigators are looking at is how it was that Mr. Nombo was granted a visa to enter the United States and, in fact, when he had this outstanding fugitive warrant out of South Africa on a fraud charge after he was convicted of buying a pilot's exam in South Africa. Authorities finally also say that they are looking at the possibility that al Qaeda might have been trying to recruit Mr. Nombo and he may not even have known about it, according to investigators. They are looking at that.

The FBI tells us that at this time, again, it would be in their view irresponsible to definitely link Mr. Nombo to al Qaeda. However, they also add it would be equally irresponsible for the FBI not to continue its investigation into this -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Right. So besides the outstanding warrant from South Africa and the expired visa here, does he face any other charges right now?

CANDIOTTI: Not at this time, although authorities do tell us that when they arrested him, in his possession they found, according to authorities, two counterfeit cards, a green card that would allow him to work in the United States, as well as a counterfeit Social Security card.

KAGAN: Got it. Susan Candiotti in Miami, thank you.

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