Briton arrested in 'terror missile' sting (BBC story)

BBC ^ | August 12, 2003

[Dog Gone]

A Briton has been arrested in the US after a suspected plot to supply a lethal surface-to-air missile to terrorists.

It is thought the alleged target might have been a commercial aircraft or the US President's personal aircraft.

Western intelligence officials have confirmed to the BBC it was a multinational sting operation, involving agents from the US, Russia and Britain.

It resulted in the arrest of a British arms dealer at Newark in New Jersey on Tuesday.

Officials say he successfully imported a Russian-made Igla missile into the US and believed he was selling it to an Muslim extremist.

But his buyer was an undercover FBI agent and the arms dealer's voice is heard on tape saying he wanted the missile to be used to shoot down a large passenger plane. They insist they were aware the missile was being brought into the US at Baltimore docks, shipped from Russia and disguised as medical equipment.

Although no actual terrorists are thought to have been involved in the operation, intelligence officials said it was a terrifying illustration of the vulnerability of Western nations to attack by extremists.

Over the last 15 months, there have been three foiled attempts by groups linked to al-Qaeda to shoot down planes carrying Western or Israeli passengers.

BBC correspondent Tom Mangold said the man bought one for $85,000 by corrupt middle management at a Russian factory and was promised another 50.

He said: "It may not have happened, but when the dealer says he wants to bring down Airforce One, it's pretty dispiriting."

He said flats in London were being searched by Scotland Yard and more arrests could follow.

The sting demonstrated "fantastic" cooperation between the US, Russia and Britain, added Mangold.

"Old enemies really have joined hands," he said.

MI5 and MI6 in London were involved with Russian secret services FSB and the FBI.

Putin help

Russia detected the arms dealer five months ago in St Petersburg and Moscow, then kept under surveillance.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, authorised for the FBI to have an undercover agent sent to Russia to work with the FSB.

The arms dealer flew to New York with his wife on Sunday at 1330 BST on a British Airways flight from Heathrow Airport in London.

But he was followed on to the plane by an FBI agent and arrested in New Jersey after he collected a package marked 'medical supplies'.

The man is an established arms dealer, thought to be a middle aged man of Indian origin, who lives in London.

Washington officials are remaining tight-lipped about the operation but admitted there had been an arrest.

[NorseWood]

Hang him

[princess leah]

"MI5 and MI6 were joined by FSB and FBI" Hey, did you forget 007?

[Dog Gone]

The man is an established arms dealer, thought to be a middle aged man of Indian origin, who lives in London.

This is what is really unique about this, unless he happens to be an Indian muslim. Anyone can sell out for money, of course. I'm sure we'll find out more soon.

[Tunehead54]

Shoot him.

---

Then you can hang him. Haven't you seen Eastwood in "Hang'em High?"

;-)

[AmericanMade1776]

Just read this breaking news story..WAY TO GO FBI....:-)

[Peach]

This story gets more interesting each time the press writes about it. (how often can we say that?)

[Gorzaloon]

Shoot him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Then you can hang him. Haven't you seen Eastwood in "Hang'em High?"

Not until he has been asked a lot more questions.

As he slides down the impaling stake.

Those missiles make a lot of people lose sleep at night. Anyone want 25,000 Delta Frequent Flier Miles?

Because I ain't using them.

[MD_Willington_1976]

Missile 9M39 of the portable anti-aircraft missile system "Igla" (9K38) is designed for defeat of visually observed jet, turbo-prop and piston-engined aircrafts and helicopters on head-on and tail-on courses under conditions of influence of natural (background) and false heat jammings.

The missile is fired by a gunner from the shoulder in a standing or kneeling position from a fire position on the terrain providing good observation of air space.

PAMS "Igla" possesses automatic introduction of elevation and lead angles, deep destruction of warhead, uses detonating fuel in propulsion system and displacement circuit in a homing head ensuring the missile hit into the most vulnerable components of the target and allows to defeat effectively modern aircrafts and helicopters of enemy.

PAMS "Igla" operation is approved for use under conditions of temperate cold, arid and humid tropical climate.

4 Truda st., Kovrov 601900 Vladimir region, Russia Tel: +7-09232-32691, 30389. Fax: +7-09232-53564

Technical Characteristics

Calibre, mm 72.2

Length of a container with a missile, mm 1708

Start mass of a missile, kg 10.6

Height of target engagement, m maximum 3500, minimum 10

Maximum speed of target engagement, m/s 400

Activation time, s, not more than 13

Maximum range of the target engagement, m 5200

Crew, persons 1

[Dog Gone]

But his buyer was an undercover FBI agent and the arms dealer's voice is heard on tape saying he wanted the missile to be used to shoot down a large passenger plane.

The more I think about this, the more I tend to believe that the arms dealer was a muslim, in spite of his Indian origin. This guy was aligned with their movement.

[truth_seeker]

"The more I think about this, the more I tend to believe that the arms dealer was a muslim, in spite of his Indian origin. This guy was aligned with their movement."

It seems logical that the arms dealer would need to be politically sympathetic, to all the causes he supplies.

OTOH in my spy books, it appears that they may also be apolitical. Top dollar prevails.

[dts32041]

Now they are using homosexual organizations to blow aircraft out of the sky IGLA (International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics), though what aquatics has to do with it I don't have the foggiest idea.

[Dog Gone]

It seems logical that the arms dealer would need to be politically sympathetic, to all the causes he supplies.

Given how many innocent people are killed in the cross-fighting, I think an arms dealer would have to be very coldhearted and profit driven.

But this guy really wanted them to be used against American targets here in the US. The stereotype of an Indian Hindu aligning himself with muslim terrorists doesn't fit.

Of course, he might be an Indian muslim as I suggested or he may have no religion at all. But he certainly seems aligned with al-Qaida.

[untenured]

Top dollar prevails.

Up to a point. I suppose the big powers might be willing turn a blind eye to anyone supplying arms for a proxy war in the third world, even on the opposite side from theirs. But to supply arms to a group directly targeting Americans where they live? I can't believe any long-established arms dealer would want to antagonize a superpower in that way.

Although I suppose the Chechens probably get their arms from such men. I wonder what the attitude of big-power secret-services people toward these guys is.

[jennyp]

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