Washington, Dec 4 (IANS) A Pakistani-born Delaware man — who has lived in the United States since his youth and is now an American citizen — has been charged with illegally possessing a machine gun after police and federal agents recovered weapons, high-capacity magazines, ballistic gear, and handwritten notes detailing attack methods and law-enforcement targets, US prosecutors have said.
New Castle County Police told The New York Post that the suspect, 25-year-old Luqmaan Khan, was born in Pakistan.
Khan was charged on November 26, following his arrest two days earlier during a late-night patrol check in Canby Park West.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, officers from the New Castle County Police Department (NCCPD) spotted a white Toyota Tacoma in the park after hours. They initiated a traffic stop at approximately 11:47 p.m. on November 24.
When officers contacted Khan, the sole occupant of the vehicle, they “developed probable cause to order Khan out of the vehicle, and he refused to comply. Subsequently, Khan resisted arrest and was taken into custody by the officers,” prosecutors said.
A search of the vehicle uncovered a .357-calibre Glock handgun loaded with 27 rounds that had been inserted into a microplastic conversion firearm brace kit. Within the truck, officers also found “three more loaded, 27-round magazines (one in the storage slot of the conversion kit); a loaded Glock 9mm magazine; an armoured ballistic plate; and a marble composition notebook.”
The notebook, written in Khan’s hand, discussed “additional weapons and firearms, how they could be used in an attack, and how law enforcement detection could be avoided once an attack was carried out,” according to court filings. It also referenced a University of Delaware Police Department officer by name and included a building layout labelled “UD Police Station,” complete with marked entry and exit points.
On November 25, the day after the arrest, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NCCPD executed a search warrant at Khan’s Wilmington residence.
Investigators recovered “a Glock 19 9mm handgun equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device, commonly called a ‘switch’.” They also seized a .556 rifle with a scope and red-dot sight, eleven extended magazines, hollow-point ammunition, and a two-plate tactical vest containing a single ballistic plate.
Khan has been charged with possessing a machine gun, a federal offence carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Acting US Attorney Julianne E. Murray said the case illustrated the importance of rapid and coordinated law-enforcement action.
“This case is a quintessential example of federal and state law enforcement collaborating to neutralise a grave threat to Delaware before the worst could come to pass,” she said.
New Castle County Police Colonel James J. Leonard III said the arrest showed the value of frontline vigilance. “Thanks to the proactive work of these patrol officers, a dangerous threat to our community was stopped before it could escalate into violence,” he said.
The case comes amid heightened national scrutiny of lone-actor threats, pre-attack writings, and weapons stockpiling, which have been at the centre of several federal prosecutions across the country.
Agencies routinely examine firearms purchases, tactical-gear acquisitions, and extremist-style manifestos to identify risks and prevent targeted violence.
–IANS
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