Missouri police investigating possible terrorism plot after mass theft of propane tanks at same time 'foreign-speaking' men make bulk cell phone purchase

Monday, December 21, 2015 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: propane theft tanks, cell phone purchases, suspicious activity

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(NaturalNews) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A series of events and purchases throughout the state of Missouri has residents on edge and police and federal officials investigating the possibility that they may be related to terrorism.

For one, media outlets including Fox News have reported on several purchases of large numbers of cell phones at a number of Walmart stores around the state.

Also, the theft of an alarming number of full propane tanks has lent further suspicion:

"The bulk purchases of more than 200 cellphones from seven Missouri Walmarts over the course of a single weekend continues to draw the attention of law enforcement – particularly combined with the theft of more than 48 propane canisters in the state during the same time frame."

And while no information has been put forth to suggest that the suspicious purchases and thefts are related, many in the state and across the country are suspicious.

Cops in several cities – Columbia, Jackson, Cape Girardeau, Ava, Lebanon, Macon and the capital of Jefferson City – say they have received reports about purchases involving large numbers of cellphones at Walmart stores locally. Many of the purchases took place during the late-night hours of Dec. 4 and the early morning hours of Dec. 5. On at least one occasion, witnesses described the purchasers as "Middle Eastern-looking men," Natural News has learned.

Accents, 'Middle Eastern-appearance'

In addition, as local TV station KY-3 reported, authorities in Laclede County noted that buyers of large quantities of cell phones were "foreign-speaking."

The station noted further:

"Somebody went in and bought 60 cellphones from Walmart; that's not normal for this area," explained Laclede County sheriff Wayne Merritt.

"After talking with the men, officers didn't have a legal reason to detain them so they were allowed to leave," according to a Lebanon Police Department incident report.

"I'm not going to say just because they're different religion or because they're Muslim, but these people were, they were foreign speaking. Then you need to take notice and you need to let us know about it because it doesn't hurt to check on it. You're not being racist or anything like that; you're just protecting yourself," Merritt said.

In other cases details are absent or sketchy. However, at least three dozen phones were bought at one time in each of the Macon, Lebanon, Jackson and Jefferson City stores.

Police said a "large number" of phones were purchased in Ava, and "dozens" from a store in Columbia, according to local ABC affiliate ABC-17. Ten phones were bought at a Walmart in Cape Girardeau.

'Not for recreational use'

Numbers of buyers have ranged from two in Lebanon to as many as five in Columbia. It is not clear if all of the purchases involve the same buyers or if they are otherwise linked in any way. However, the same man was reported to be involved in the purchasing group in Ava and Lebanon, which took place just two hours apart on Dec. 5. That man left one phone in the store bathroom at Ava, which then gave authorities impetus to respond.

"While speaking with Walmart employees, the subject who left the phone returned to the store to get it," the Ava Police Department posted on Facebook. "Officers spoke with the male subject, who was of Middle Eastern descent, and asked for identification, which was provided."

Three buyers in Jefferson City had "accents," according to witness statements provided to police.

Then, The Associated Press reported that a hunter discovered a cache of explosives near Fort Leonard Wood, a major U.S. Army training post. The AP noted that a bomb disposal unit from the base, in conjunction with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, detonated the explosives in place after the explosives were deemed too volatile to move.

"Police described the explosives as something that could not be bought for recreational use," the AP reported.

It should be noted that terrorists and fighters in Afghanistan and Iraq have used cell phones to remotely detonate explosives. Also, propane tanks have been used as bombs in the past. In fact, the thwarted car bomb attack in Times Square in NYC in 2010 involved four propane tanks as part of the explosive device.

Is this just the latest in a series of plots predicted by Natural News editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger? Writing Dec. 10, Adams noted:

I have reason to believe that a massive, multi-city ISIS attack will be unleashed across America in the near future.

Why do I believe this? Because the evidence points to the likelihood that the San Bernardino ISIS terrorists disobeyed orders and prematurely initiated their attack on a relatively small group. The twelve pipe bombs and thousands of rounds of ammunition found in their apartment point to the realization that they were preparing for something much larger.

Read his full report here.

Sources:

TheGatewayPundit.com

FoxNews.com

StLouis.CBSLocal.com

NaturalNews.com