Pakistani man detained over Times Square incident

NEW YORK - Police arrested a naturalized US citizen from Pakistan in connection with the apparent botched attempt to set off a crude car bomb in New York’s landmark Times Square, The New York Times reported early Tuesday.

The suspect is a resident of nearby Connecticut and is believed to have anonymously bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder with cash just weeks before the Saturday night incident, the Times reported online, citing two sources briefed on the police investigation.

The man, who had reportedly recently returned from a trip to Pakistan, was not immediately named.

A New York police officer noticed smoke billowing from the sport-utility vehicle parked on Times Square and ultimately discovered the bomb, which failed to detonate. Authorities said the casualties could have been significant if the improvised device had exploded.

Police say the vehicle was loaded with petrol, propane gas tanks, fireworks and fertilizer.

Authorities were seeking to learn whether the suspect might have had contacts with militants in Pakistan or elsewhere. The probe into the Times Square incident was transferred Monday to the international terrorism branch of the federal government’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, two federal officials told the Times.

“It’s a prominent lead that they’re following, the international association,” the paper quoted a senior official as saying on condition of anonymity. “But there’s still a lot of information being gathered.”