WASHINGTON, 7 November — The United States has charged three South Asian men with trying to supply US-made Stinger missiles to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, Attorney General John Ashcroft said yesterday. Two Pakistanis and an Indian-born US citizen, aged between 44 and 47, were detained in Hong Kong where a first extradition hearing was held Tuesday.

Ashcroft alleged that the three were trafficking 600 kilos (1,320 pounds) of heroin and five tons of hashish to buy the shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. He said indictments had been made in San Diego, California. Stingers, which can be carried in a suitcase, were widely used by the Afghan resistance during their campaign against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, and many remained afterward.

"Three individuals have been indicted for conspiring to trade heroin for anti-aircraft missiles which they said they intended to sell to al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan," Ashcroft told a news conference.

Syed Mustaja Shah, Muhammed Abid Afridi and Ilyas Ali were arrested in Hong Kong in an operation US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, according to Hong Kong authorities. They were arrested in a hotel room by Hong Kong police on Sept. 20, following an FBI tip-off.

"Based on remarks made to the FBI agents, it is believed that the defendants intended to deliver the Stinger missile systems to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely the Al-Qaeda," said a summary of the court proceedings provided by the Hong Kong Justice Department.

It was the first terrorism related case in Hong Kong since last year’s Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, which were blamed on Al-Qaeda. If the trio are sent to the United States, it will be Hong Kong’s first terrorism-related extradition under a fugitive offenders ordinance that came into effect this year.

An arrest warrant was issued on Sept. 17 for the trio by a court in California for plotting to import heroin and hashish and providing material support or resources for foreign terrorist organizations. Washington made a formal request to Hong Kong for their extradition on Oct. 10.

According to the court summary, the trio was engaged in discussions to sell and smuggle into the United States 600 kilos of heroin and five tons of hashish in exchange for four Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Hong Kong on Sept. 23 signed an agreement with the United States to cooperate on shipping security as part of a worldwide drive to guard against a possible maritime terror attack.

Under the agreement, Hong Kong and US customs signed a declaration laying down the framework under which US and Hong Kong customs officials will work together, including the posting of US customs officials here. The case sparked concern in Hong Kong that the former British territory could become a terrorist target and that it is being use as an arms trans-shipment center. (AFP)