Briton arrested in arms sale raid

Wednesday, 13 August 2003 2:02 AM

A Briton, suspected of supplying a surface-to-air missile to terrorists, has been arrested by the FBI.

US President George Bush's private jet or a commercial aircraft were rumoured to have been possible targets if the weapon fell into the wrong hands, according to BBC Online.

The arms dealer was reported to have been "looking for terrorists to fire the missile at the Air Force One."

The FBI denied the report.

An intelligence operation involving American, Russian and British security services culminated in the arrest of the arms dealer in New Jersey on Tuesday.

The Briton was in possession of a Russian-made SA-18 Igla missile and was eyeing its sale to an undercover FBI agent who was posing as a "Muslim extremist."

The FBI said it was tracking the sale of the missile after it arrived in the US by ship.

The man, thought to be of middle age and of Indian descent, was arrested at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport after he collected a package marked "medical supplies."

The Russian secret service FSB, Britain's MI5 and MI6, and the FBI were involved in the operation, according to media sources.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have given the go ahead for an undercover FBI agent to collaborate with the FSB.

Two other men - one from Afghanistan - were arrested on suspicion of arms smuggling later Tuesday in New York City's diamond district.

The British suspect was not thought to be connected with a known terrorist organisation.

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