Three Terrorist Suspects in Hong Kong Agree to Be Extradited to the U.S.

On January 6, 2002, two Pakistanis and one U.S. national agreed to be extradited to the U.S. District Court in San Diego that they conspired to sell drugs for antiaircraft missiles that they had planned to provide to Al Qaeda. Initially they fought extradition after their arrest three months before. The indictment accuses the three persons of having planned to trade heroin and hashish for four Stringer antiaircraft missiles. The detained men apparently told F.B.I. undercover agents in Hong Kong in meetings on September 16 through 18 that they intended to sell the Stringers to Al Qaeda. However, on September 20, Hong Kong police in cooperation with the F.B.I. arrested them. The indictment alleges that the three suspects attempted to exchange about 1, 300 pounds of heroin and 11,000 pounds of hashish for four shoulder-fired Stinger antiaircraft missiles and cash. According to the indictment, the men told undercover officers that they intended to sell the missiles ?to members of the Taliban, an organization which the defendants indicated was the same as Al Qaeda.?