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Arms cache tied to Mac
Public Safety | Fri, 05/28/2010 - 2:59 pm | Read 670 | Commented 1
By Paul Daquilante

When federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents served a search warrant last Wednesday on a storage unit in Ferndale, Wash., just south of the Canadian border, they discovered more than $30,000 worth of high-powered weaponry, including a .50-caliber sniper rifle.

The find was detailed in an affidavit filed by the Western District Court of Washington against illegal alien Iranian Hamid Malekpour, also known as Oliver King, about 35 years old.

Much of the weaponry was packed into boxes bearing shipping labels addressed to McMinnville Hunting & Police Supplies Inc., the affidavit states. The obscure business, located in a shuttered, unsigned office at 1900 N.E. Highway 99W, is owned by Amir Zarandi.

McMinnville does not require business licensing, according to City Attorney Candice Haines, but the state does. The gun dealership has been registered with the Secretary of State’s Corporation Division in the past, but missed its scheduled renewal date of May 11.

A small sign on the door indicates hours are by appointment only. Its website dead-ends with “under constructionâ€