Saddam Hussein's Stepson Arrested
June 15: Iraq's President Saddam Hussein.
Thursday, July 04, 2002
MIAMI — Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's stepson was arrested Wednesday night in Miami on an immigration violation.
According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Mohammad Nour Al-Din Saffi was traveling as a tourist and had not applied for a student visa that would have allowed him to take courses.
Saffi, a citizen of New Zealand who has worked as a commercial airline pilot, planned to attend classes at Aeroservice Aviation Center, said James Goldman, an INS assistant director for investigations.
FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said one of the Sept. 11 hijackers trained at the flight school.
Goldman said Saffi was seeking recertification training at the flight school. The FBI said he is employed by an airline in New Zealand.
Saffi, 36, also failed to tell customs agents of his intent to take courses when he arrived Tuesday in Los Angeles on a flight from New Zealand, Goldman said.
Orihuela, the FBI spokeswoman, said Saffi was tracked Wednesday as he flew from Los Angeles to Miami International Airport. He was taken into custody at a motel shortly after he arrived.
Saffi was at Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade County and is being processed for deportation to New Zealand, Goldman said.
The Weekend Herald, a newspaper in New Zealand, reported in December that Saffi was employed by Air New Zealand as an engineer and had lived in the country six years.
They said officials in New Zealand had investigated Saffi after Sept. 11 when they learned he was Saddam's stepson. No action was taken, the paper said.
Saffi had declined to discuss his relationship with the Iraqi leader when asked by the paper.
Saffi's home telephone in Auckland was repeatedly busy Friday.
Air New Zealand declined comment, citing privacy concerns.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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