Six suspects linked to terrorist activity referred to Syria and Iraq as “the beach,” and used other coded language on social media to avoid detection in the United States, authorities say.
The Bosnian immigrants, including a husband and wife, were arrested this month in Illinois and St. Louis, according to court records released Friday. Three of the suspects are naturalized American citizens.
A federal indictment alleges they communicated via social media and conspired to send money and military equipment to terrorists in Syria and Iraq. They allegedly shipped firearms accessories, military uniforms and combat boots through intermediaries in Turkey.
Suspects named in the indictment are Nihad Rosic, Armin Harcevic and married couple Ramiz and Sedina Hodzic, all from St. Louis, along with Illinois residents Mediha Salkicevic and Jasminka Ramic.
They face various charges, including conspiracy to kill, and sending money and weapons to terrorists, the indictment shows.
Also named in the indictment is Abdullah Ramo Pazara, who allegedly traveled to Syria and Iraq to support terrorists.
To support Pazara, the suspects sought out backers in the U.S. and used the money to purchase military supplies, which they sent to him, the indictment said.
They used coded words and nicknames on social media to avoid detection, referring to each other as “lions or Bosnian brothers,” among other code names, the indictment alleges.
Pazara traveled to Syria in July 2013, and allegedly started receiving money from the defendants within a month. Other shipments of military equipment soon followed, according to the indictment.
Federal prosecutors indicted the six suspects this month in St. Louis County.
Information on their attorneys was not immediately available.
