A Briton was convicted in a U.S. federal court Wednesday of trying to smuggle a shoulder-mounted missile launcher into the United States for what he believed to be a terrorist group, it was reported. The Deutsche Presse Agentur (dpa) said Indian-born Hemant Lakhani, 69, was found guilty by a jury in Newark, New Jersey, after he was caught in a sting by undercover U.S. agents posing as terrorists who told him they wanted to shoot down a passenger plane. U.S., British and Russian intelligence services cooperated in the 18-month sting operation that led to Lakhani's arrest in August 2003. He has been jailed without bail since then. In the joint operation, Russian agents sold a surface-to-air missile to the alleged British arms trader, and U.S. agents posing as terrorists offered to buy it and make a 500,000-dollar down payment for 50 more missiles. The Russian-made SA-18 IGLA heat-seeking missile can bring down a commercial airliner although the one used in the sting was a dud, made inoperable without the dealers' knowledge. Lakhani's defense unsuccessfully argued that his client was the victim of entrapment. Sentencing was scheduled for August 8. Two accused middlemen were indicted with Lakhani for illegal money transfers, Moinuddeen Ahmed Hameed of Malaysia and Yehuda Abraham. They both pleaded guilty but have yet to be sentenced.
