The city has a total of about 1. 500 Arab residents. Quoting official sources in the Brazilian Government, O Globo of Brazil and Television Network newspaper reported on August 18, 1994, that a well belonging to the armed Islamic Group Party of unification and the Group Amal and Hezbollah had been detected in the area of Chui. According to reports from Brazil, a distribution point for weapons of war, such as M-16 and AR-15, grenades, rocket launchers and was detected. Outraged, the Uruguayan Government denounced the report, arguing that they were not subversive, among Arabs living in Uruguay.
The Mayor of Chui on the Brazilian side of the border, Mohammed Kasim (also accused of being a Lebanese nationalist with strong ties to bin Laden and other Saudi terrorists. The Uruguayan secret service questioned the Mayor, who allegedly helped to to Said Hassan Hussein Mukhlis family after his arrest and visited him in prison. Porto Alegre Zero hour Porto Alegre, 2 September 2001, Emily described as the alleged leader of the new Arab mafia, an organization involved in trafficking of weapons and drugs, money-laundering and the exploitation of undocumented workers. After the attacks of 11 of September, Emily was accused of secretly being in contact with Mukhlis, and have given refuge to his wife, Sahar (Sarrah) Mohamed Hassam Hamanra Abud. The Federal Police of Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul forces are Emily to investigate alleged links with Mukhlis, who had visited in prison. Brazilian authorities seem to be more concerned, however, with charges that Emily is a Lebanese citizen and therefore ineligible to hold the post of Mayor in the Brazil. Emily denied any link with Bin Laden, and claimed that he had assisted Hamanra and her three children as a humanitarian gesture. A confidential document obtained by Zero Hora says that every time that Mohamed Emily travelled to Lebanon, who have been in contact with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, and that Bin Laden would be willing to contribute 2 million dollars for the construction of a mosque in Chui.
