An Indian citizen has pleaded guilty in a US court to attempting to transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars to be used to buy anti-aircraft missiles. Moinuddeen Ahmed Hameed, 40, admitted conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. He was charged after FBI agents arrested suspected UK arms dealer Hemant Lakhani in New Jersey for allegedly trying to sell the missiles. Hameed said he handled money for the deal but did not know what it was for. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on 6 July.
| With time off for spilling his guts. |
Hameed was one of three people arrested in a sting operation by the FBI, British and Russian intelligence. However, prosecutors accepted that he was a financial middleman who did not know the transactions involved illegal weapons.
| I'm sure he knew it was for something illegal, but not any details. He can tie Lakhani to the money trail. |
Mr Lakhani, 68, of London, was arrested near Newark airport in August last year by an FBI agent posing as a Muslim terrorist. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to sell 50 shoulder-fired missiles, which were capable of bringing down airliners. He also denies offering to procure anti-aircraft guns, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, radar systems, C-4 explosives and a radioactive "dirty bomb". Mr Lakhani, who was born in India, is due to appear in court again on 26 April. He faces up to 25 years in jail if convicted.
Prosecutors are expected to submit more than 150 audio or video tapes as evidence against Mr Lakhani. New York diamond dealer Yehuda Abraham, 76, has pleaded guilty to money-laundering in connection with the alleged missile smuggling plot and awaits sentencing.
| How many years he gets depends on his testimony at Lakhani's trial as well. |
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