Man in federal custody after alleged Times Square grenade plot, report says

TIMES SQUARE, Manhattan -- A Queens man is in federal custody after he asked about buying grenades and discussed possibly detonating them in Times Square.

Ashiqul Alam, 22, was intercepted by federal and local officials, and he posed no imminent threat.

The story was first reported in the New York Daily News.

Alam, of Jackson Heights, is expected to appear in federal court in Downtown Brooklyn around 2 p.m. Friday.

The suspect was detected both inquiring about obtaining grenades and discussing using them in Times Square

Members of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, made up of FBI agents and NYPD detectives, began tracking the man and eventually took him into custody.

He is not believed to be linked to any other people or part of a larger plot.

Eyewitness News talked to several neighbors who said they really didn't know him, describing Alam as quiet.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is expected to comment later Friday. The NYPD referred questions to the FBI.