House raided, 5 questioned in hunt for missing FBI weapons

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (CNN) -- Five people were in custody Thursday as the FBI continued its search for assault weapons, ammunition and more suspects in the embarrassing theft of one of the agency's SWAT vans in Memphis.

Police took three men into custody on Wednesday, seizing tear gas canisters, grenades and ammunition from a house just blocks from where the stolen van was set on fire.

Two others already under arrest for an unrelated theft were also being questioned. "They may have some information," FBI agent Ed Young told The Commercial Appeal of Memphis. "I think the guys are in hiding. The weapons are hidden, and they're trying to get rid of them."

The van, a GMC Suburban laden with two grenade launchers, seven M-16 automatic rifles, several other guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition, was stolen Tuesday from the parking lot of a Memphis motel where FBI agents were taking part in an anti-terrorism training exercise.

The burned-out vehicle was found in another section of Memphis, but the weapons and ammunition were gone.

Memphis police were seen carrying a box of grenade launchers they apparently recovered from an area near where the abandoned van was discovered.

Still missing on Thursday were a dozen assault weapons, including automatic assault rifles, two grenade launchers and ammunition.

The FBI source said good progress had been made in the investigation and several promising leads were being followed.

The theft proved an untimely embarrassment for the FBI. The agency has been dogged for months by criticism over alleged sloppiness at its crime laboratory and its failure to solve the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.

The FBI had hoped to dispel some of the criticism with praise for the investigative work that led to the conviction Monday of Timothy McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing.

FBI Director Louis Freeh said Wednesday that the agency was determined to recover the stolen arsenal.

"We certainly have put on a full-court press to try to retrieve these weapons, which are very dangerous," Freeh told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The bureau also will look into whether the agents responsible for the van violated any regulations.

Related stories:

• Several people questioned in FBI van theft; some weapons recovered - June 4, 1997
• Freeh: FBI determined to find stolen weapons - June 4, 1997

Related sites:

• The Commercial Appeal - (Memphis) Police find cartridges, question 5 in FBI theft
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

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