NEWS: British Suspect Convicted for Attempting to Sell Missiles in US, page 1

British businessman Hemant Lakhani was found guilty on Wednesday of trying to aid terrorists for selling a shoulder-launched missile to an informant posing as a militant seeking to attack the United States. Lakhani, was found guilty of five criminal charges by a US District Court jury in Newark, New Jersey, that began deliberating on Tuesday. Lakhani was arrested in August 2003 after a two-year international sting operation and accused of trying to provide material support to terrorists, unlawful arms sales, smuggling and two counts of money laundering.

www.timesonline.co.uk
A BUSINESSMAN was convicted yesterday of trying to sell shoulder-fired missiles to terrorists to launch a spectacular follow-up strike on American airliners after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Hemant Lakhani, 69, a former clothing merchant in Hendon, North London, was found guilty by a federal jury in Newark, New Jersey, despite his claims that he had been the victim of entrapment.

Lakhani was arrested in a hotel room near Newark airport in August 2003 as he was demonstrating a sample missile to an FBI informant posing as a Somali terrorist.

Prosecutors said that Lakhani accepted a $30,000 down payment for the missile and wanted to sell up to 50 more missiles. What he did not know was that the buyer and seller were undercover agents in an operation begun shortly after the twin towers attacks.

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The evidence must have been overwhelmingly against him, considering the fact the jury only started to deliberate late Tuesday. At least he will live out the rest of his life jail where he belongs.

It is just too bad they could not give him the death penalty.

[edit on 4/27/2005 by shots]