Iranian immigrants arrested near nuke plant

Three Iranian immigrants were arrested and interrogated by federal and local authorities after being caught with camera equipment in the area of a nuclear power plant in Plymouth, Mass.

The men, who said they came to the U.S. as teen-agers, were discovered in a restricted zone surrounding the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station Saturday morning, according to the Enterprise newspaper of Brockton, Mass.

David F. Tarantino, spokesman for Entergy, owner of the plant, said the men's actions "sounded at first a little ominous," the paper reported.

"The beach is very difficult to navigate," explained Tarantino. "It is not like a stroll along a sandy beach. It is a beach with big boulders and rocks. It is really a tough exercise to navigate."

The men previously had been in town during the last two weeks, according to police.

Fariborz Motamedi, 42, of Lakeville, Mass.; Amir M. Lashgari, 41, of Quincy, Mass.; and Hamid H. Ahmadi, 49, of Norton, Mass., were charged, questioned extensively by authorities, then released, the Enterprise said.

Tarantino said the men were under constant surveillance after plant security staff spotted them as they approached the restricted area. The staff called in local police and the FBI, and the photos from the digital camera were examined.

The spokesman said, however, no known photographs of the plant were taken.

Since an increase in security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Tarantino noted, several people have been arrested after crossing into the restricted zone by land or water. One incident was a person in a kayak and another a fisherman who strayed into restricted waters.

Tarantino indicated the plant takes a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who strays into its restricted area, according to the Brockton paper.

"Our policy is to arrest," he said.