Extradition treaty behind FBI sting [EDIT: Shangri-la Hotel makes into news:0)
hongkong.scmp.com
Thursday, November 7, 2002
STELLA LEE
The FBI is believed to have plotted the arrest of the three alleged al-Qaeda weapons suppliers in Hong Kong because of the SAR's extradition agreement with the United States, a security expert says.
Bradley Allan, director of consulting at Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations, said the arrest reflected stringent security controls and was not a sign of terrorist operations in the SAR.
The three men were arrested in a room at the Island Shangri-la hotel on September 20 as they allegedly tried to buy four Stinger anti-aircraft missiles for al-Qaeda from FBI agents posing as arms dealers in exchange for five tonnes of hashish and 600kg of heroin.
The US government asked Hong Kong police to arrest the three men, who were said to have engaged in discussion with the FBI agents in the US and elsewhere for some time.
Pakistanis Syed Mustajab Shah, 54, and Muhammed Abid Afridi, and US-citizen Ilyas Ali, 57, were told in a hearing at Eastern Court on Tuesday that the US was seeking their extradition. The trio, who refused to return voluntarily to the US, will face an extradition hearing.
Prosecutor Wayne Walsh said the men came to Hong Kong specifically for the meeting but would not elaborate on why they chose it for the transaction.
Mr Allan said he believed the FBI agents plotted to conduct the business deal with the three men in Hong Kong because of the professionalism of the police force and the extradition agreement with the US.
"These three people were not from Hong Kong. Obviously when the FBI began this operation to capture these people, it happened in another country, probably a country that doesn't have an extradition agreement with the US. It's easier to arrest them in Hong Kong and send them back to the States," Mr Allan said.
The US has made 44 requests concerning the surrender of fugitives from the SAR since the extradition agreement was struck in January 1998, but this is believed to be the first time anyone alleged to have al-Qaeda links has been arrested in Hong Kong and Mr Allan said the SAR remained one of the safest places to work and live. "Terrorists probably launder their money and take vacations in Hong Kong, but they don't launch operations here. Why would they come to Hong Kong if they can do it in another place where the police aren't as professional and the chances of getting caught are much less?"
Terrorism ranked 11th out of 27 security concerns in a survey conducted by Pinkerton in August among 96 private and public organisations in the Asia-Pacific region, up from 23rd in a similar survey last year. Internet and intranet security topped the list in this year's survey, which showed more than 40 per cent of respondents expected an increase in funding for corporate security.
Mr Allan said terrorism would be of greater concern if the survey had been conducted after the Bali bombing, but said the problem was not new or a significant threat to businesses in the region. |
