Authorities: Fort Lee Police Help Indict Individuals Transporting Untaxed Cigarettes

Fort Lee and Mahwah police helped indict several individuals involved in transporting contraband cigarettes across state lines, authorities said.

Six people were indicted in four separate criminal investigations stemming from stopping the transportation of untaxed cigarettes through New Jersey, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said. Several area law enforcement agencies were involved in the effort.

The indictments ”highlight a recognized pattern of criminal activities” where money is transported to states like Virginia and North Carolina with low cigarette taxes and cigarettes are brought back to the New York/New Jersey area to be sold for an illegal profit, Moninelli said.

• Yousef Khraim, 27, Mohamed A. Hasan, 26, Basem Naser-Eddin, 54, Abdo M. Saidi, 41, and Gamal Alkatteeb, 30 were all stopped by Fort Lee police between September and March.
• Fort Lee police found $28,000 in the car Khraim and Hasin were in during a traffic stop in September 2012; Naser-Eddin and Saidi had $22,000 on them when Fort Lee police stopped the car they were driving in March 2014, authorities said.
• Mahwah police found more than 250 cartons of contraband cigarettes in the car Hatim Mohamed was driving when they pulled him over in January, Molinelli said.
• Fort Lee police found more than 450 cartons of contraband cigarettes during a traffic stop in the car Alkatteeb was driving in Fort Lee in March, authorities said.

Khraim, Hasan, Naser-Eddin, and Saidi were each indicted on one count of financial facilitation of criminal activity.

Mohamed was indicted on one court of possession of more than 20,000 unstamped cigarettes, failure to maintain books with intent to evade, engaging in conduct requiring a registration or license, and possession of transportation of cigarettes without records.

Alkatteeb was charged with one count of possession of more than 20,000 unstamped cigarettes, failure to maintain books with intent to evade, and possession and transportation of unstamped cigarettes with records.