Washington, August 13
In an international sting operation, the FBI has arrested three persons, including a British national of Indian origin with alleged links to the Mumbai underworld, for smuggling a Russian shoulder fire-missile into the USA possibly for sale to terrorists.

The British citizen was arrested in Newark, New Jersey yesterday after striking a deal to sell a sophisticated Russia SA-18 Igla missile to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Muslim extremist.

The arrest was effected as part of an international sting operation which began five months ago in St Petersburg by the FBI in conjuction with British and Russian intelligence agencies, US law enforcement officials said.

The other two men arrested later — an Afghan and a Pakistani — in New York were reported to be part of an illegal money-trading business, which was apparently used in the scheme.

Though the British man’s name and charges were not immediately disclosed, officials believe that he does not appear to be connected to a known terrorist group and was thought to be an arms dealer or smuggler.

According to a BBC report, the British man, an arms dealer living in London, had connections with the underworld in Mumbai. CNN identified the man as being of Indian origin.

The missile was smuggled under the cover of medical supplies and stored in a warehouse in Baltimore. Officials in Washington played down suggestion that the target could have been the US President’s personal aircraft ‘Air Force one’.

The officials claim to have the arms dealer’s voice on tape saying he wanted the missile to be used to shoot down a large passenger plane, according to BBC.