Investigators: Heather Catallo speaks exclusively with al Soofi's brother

Two men with ties to the Detroit area have been released in the Netherlands without being charged.  Dutch prosecutors say there’s no evidence to link Ahmed Mohammed Nasser al Soofi and Hezem al Murisi to a terror plot.  The national prosecutor’s office announced their release, saying that because of a lack of evidence “there is no reason to hold the men any longer.”

Action News Investigator Heather Catallo spoke exclusively with al Soofi’s brother, who lives in Detroit.

When Heather started her interview with Ahmed al Soofi’s brother today –al Soofi was still in custody in the Netherlands.

The FBI already interviewed al Soofi’s brother at his job – so he asked us not to reveal his identity.

And he insists his brother could never be responsible for a terrorist plot.

Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi’s younger brother says he first learned that Al Soofi had been arrested in the Netherlands  – when the FBI showed up at his job in Livonia.

“I just smile when they told me.  They say why you smiling, I say my brother, he didn’t do that,” said al Soofi’s brother.

Al Soofi’s brother says the 48 year old convenience store clerk is not a terrorist, and they were both devastated by 9/11.

“Is  there any possibility your brother was involved in some sort of terrorist plot? No. Why not? Because I know my brother.  He was nice he was funny, he was a good person – if you ask any person about my brother, they’re going tell you same thing I tell you now. Does he have any anti-American sentiments? No. What does he think about the United States? He love United States. And he work in United States. I think the United States for my brother, same thing mother for the child, cause he working in here, the United States they help my brother for, help his family.”

al Soofi’s friend Faiz al Kisi in Alabama told me on the phone today, he’s the one who asked al Soofi to take 7 cell phones, watches, medicine and shampoo back to Yemen for his family– and he’s the one who taped everything together.

 “I send a couple phones for my family and I send a couple medicine for my family,” said al Kisi.

 “Any person that go to my country they have to put everyone as separate, and they tape everyone and they put the name on it to remember when they go to Yemen, what’s this item for – it’s for this person and another one for the other person – they do like this,” said al Soofi’s brother.

 Catallo asked about the $7,000 that al Soofi had on him when he was searched by airport screeners:

“And why travel with so much cash? The cash – they still working in here 2 years, and they save the penny after the penny till the time they go to his country. Because its expensive in my country, everything expensive.”

 Al Soofi’s 32 year old brother in Detroit says al Soofi packed knives in his luggage because American knives are made much better than Yemen knives.

 As I finished my interview with him– the news broke that the Dutch were releasing Ahmed al Soofi without charging him. 

  “We’ve just learned your brother has been freed without being charged in the Netherlands – what’s your reaction to that? I’m really happy. When I hear about this news – I’m really happy I thank you about this news. When you let me know.”

 Al Soofi’s brother says there’s no way al Soofi is some kind of Muslim extremist – he says his brother is not very religious, in fact, he rarely prays.