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Nepalis arrested over White House bomb threat

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PAINESVILLE, Ohio, April 15: "I am from Al-Qaeda."

That's what Guru Dhimal told a 911 dispatcher while on a Greyhound bus headed to Cleveland Friday evening.

"We have made a bomb to destroy the White House."

Dhjmal explained to the dispatcher that he was on a Greyhound bus in Ohio, near Cleveland.

"Why are you calling 911?" the dispatcher asked.

"Because there are some more people who are behind me and from Al-Qaeda and I want...to report from the Al-Qaeda," Dhimal said.

The dispatcher passed along the message to another agency.

"I'm on 911 currently with a male who's traveling via Greyhound bus towards Cleveland," he said. "He claims he's from Al-Qaeda. He's headed to Cleveland and he's got a bomb their going to eventually take to the White House and blow it up. And there are multiple other terrorists following this bus."

"I don't know if it's these hoax calls that have been going out that we've been dealing with for the last week for all the SWAT calls," the dispatcher stated.

The dispatcher then asked Dhimal what bus he was on.



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After getting the bus number, the dispatcher was able to figure out the bus was on Interstate 90 and had just entered Lake County.

"Is the bomb you guys have physically on the bus with you?" the dispatcher asked.

"No, the bomb is not here but...they have a bomb..." Dhimal said.

"Where is 'they' at?" the dispatcher asked.

"Syracuse, New York," said Dhimal.

Dhjmal then told the dispatcher that they plan to destroy the White House on May 1.

Later in the phone call Dhimal asked to speak to the President of the United States.

The dispatcher told Dhimal to put the bus driver on the phone while he contacted Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The bus driver pulled over and gave the dispatcher their location.

The call prompted an hours-long closure of Interstate 90 as bomb squad crews searched for evidence of weapons.

No bomb was found.

Dhimal was charged with inducing panic and Bhagirath Koirala of Nepal was charged with complicity to induce panic.

Monday afternoon, both men were in Painesville Municipal Court to face those charges.

A translator helped the men understand what was gong on in court.

Bond was set for Dhimal at $25,000.

He must also get a mental evaluation before being released from jail.

Koirala had a personal bond set. His family was in the courtroom on Monday.

"He's a very good person," said Bhuwan Pyakurel, a family member. He said Koirala has never been involved in anything like this before.

Bhuwan said he did not know Koirala's nephew, Dhimal, very well.

A preliminary hearing has been set for both Dhimal and Koirala on April 21.

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