Who Is Asif Merchant, the Pakistani man arrested for plotting to kill Donald Trump?
PTC News Desk: A Pakistani man who is purportedly connected to Iran has been accused by the US of trying to kill American lawmakers.
According to federal authorities, Asif Merchant, 46, planned the assassination of a US government figure or politician on US grounds. The US government has increased security for former US President Donald Trump and other leaders as a result of this case. Although Trump is not specifically mentioned in the criminal complaint, reporters have been informed by a number of sources that he was one of the intended targets of the alleged scheme.
Asif Merchant, a 46-year-old Pakistani national, is also referred to as "Asif Raza Merchant". He has two wives, one in Iran and one in Pakistan, and kids in both nations.
The US Justice Department stated that Asif routinely visits Iran, Syria, and Iraq based on his travel records.
According to court documents, the conspiracy included three main components: organizing protests, killing a politician or government person, and removing documents or USB drives from a target's house.
For every aspect of the scheme, Asif Merchant created a code name: "yarn-dye" for their meetings, "tee-shirt" for protests, "flannel shirt" for document stealing, and "fleece jacket" for the assassination.
Merchant told the first person he spoke to—who notified authorities—that he had an uncle in Pakistan who worked in the "yarn-dyed" industry and that he could do business with them.
Asif Merchant hired what he believed to be hitmen—but were actually undercover agents—for his schemes. He had one government source, whom he suspected of being a hired assassin, explain to him how "the target" would perish under various circumstances.
- With inputs from agencies
