EYE SPY ISSUE 4 5 , 2006 28 AGENT PROVOCATEURS Continued From page 9 29 ENABLING A STING The most recent high-profile sting operation relates to Hemant Lakhani - a British weapons dealer who tried to sell ground-to-air missiles to a ‘terrorist group’ based on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Unfortunately for him, the sleeper cell buying the powerful weapon was actually an undercover FBI unit and the seller a Russian firm liaising with the FSB. To enable the sting, intelligence officials from MI5, MI6 and Russia’s FSB were involved at every level. The FBI learned of a man who had praised the attacks of 9/11 and wanted to sell weapons to terrorists. He also had contacts with a known extremist wanted for bomb blasts in India. Lakhani ‘gets’ the name of a potential buyer claiming to represent a Somalian terrorist group. He then travels all over Russia, the Ukraine, and Cyprus to find and order 50 shoulder-fired missiles for that extremist to use in attacks against aeroplanes. After meeting the ‘buyer’ several times in New Jersey to seal the deal he then asked for payment to be wired to bank accounts in Hong Kong and Switzerland. As an FBI official said: “Welcome to the world of twenty-first century global crime and terror.” The FBI also recognised that to conclude the anti-terrorist operation, they would need to liaise with other law enforcement and security partners across the globe. The missile buyer was actually a US govern- ment informant who contacted the FBI after hearing from the dealer. He agreed to help the police in an undercover sting. Intelligence revealed that Lakhani planned to export the surface-to-air missiles from Russia. Bureau agents flew to Moscow and met with representatives of the Russian Federal Security Service. The FSB explained Lakhani was The harmless missile was offloaded in the port of Baltimore and later transferred up the coast to Newark EYE SPY ISSUE 4 5 , 2006 At the first meeting, two undercover FSB officers posed as the suppliers and showed the dealer the surface-to-air missile. As FBI agents listened in, Lakhani bought the missile and ordered 50 more. The transaction was worth about $85,000 (£45,000). Lakhani sent the fake missile to the United States where it was stored at a warehouse in Baltimore, allegedly disguised as medical equipment. He then met with the undercover informant four times near Newark, New Jersey, to finalise the sale. In the last meeting on 12 August 2003, he recommended the under- cover ‘buyer’ use the missiles in simultaneous strikes. “It will shake them,” he said. “They will run. They will think the war has started.” FSB agents were listening in the next room and were present when Lakhani was arrested already under investigation. A joint operation was forged. Lakhani travelled to Moscow and then to St. Petersburg to meet with missile suppliers. FBI and FSB agents already had him under surveillance. An arms factory helped in the ruse and provided a Russian-made shoulder- launched SA-18 Igla missile - a move approved by the US. However, the weapon had already been rendered safe and its explosive charge removed. SA-18 Igla COURTESY: POLISH ARMED FORCES moments later. He was arrested at a hotel in Newark, New Jersey after returning from collecting the crate, said to contain the missile, from the Baltimore warehouse. Shortly after, two more men were arrested at a New York gem dealership on Fifth Avenue and charged with helping to finance the deal. During the trial, representatives of New Scotland Yard and the FSB testified - the first time FSB officers had ever offered testimony in a US Federal Court. Lakhani was convicted by jury and sentenced to 47 years in prison. The sting operation began around the same time al-Qaida terrorists used shoulder- launched missiles and narrowly missed an Israeli charter flight taking off from Mombasa, Kenya. Months earlier, another missile missed a US military jet taking off from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The sting operation involved security forces from Russia, India, Great Britain and the United States. Though the actual end game was played out in Newark, much research had to be done on location in several countries Real-time covert FBI film footage (frames) of Hemant Lakhani in the hotel with undercover FBI agents posing as terrorist weapons’ buyers
countermeasure
Mar 24, 2016
To enable the sting, intelligence officials from MI5, MI6 and Russia’s FSB were involved at every level. The FBI learned of a man who had praised the attacks of 9/11 and wanted to sell weapons to terrorists. He also had contacts with a known extremist wanted for bomb blasts in India. The FBI also recognised that to conclude the anti-terrorist operation, they would need to liaise with other law enforcement and security partners across the globe. Continued From page 9 ENABLING A STING 28 29
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E Y E S P Y I S S U E 4 5 , 2 0 0 628
AGENTPROVOCATEURSContinued From page 9
29
ENABLING A STING
The most recent high-profile sting operationrelates to Hemant Lakhani - a British weaponsdealer who tried to sell ground-to-air missilesto a ‘terrorist group’ based on the easternseaboard of the United States. Unfortunatelyfor him, the sleeper cell buying the powerfulweapon was actually an undercover FBI unitand the seller a Russian firm liaising with theFSB.
To enable the sting, intelligence officials fromMI5, MI6 and Russia’s FSB were involved atevery level. The FBI learned of a man who hadpraised the attacks of 9/11 and wanted to sellweapons to terrorists. He also had contactswith a known extremist wanted for bombblasts in India.
Lakhani ‘gets’ the name of a potential buyerclaiming to represent a Somalian terroristgroup. He then travels all over Russia, theUkraine, and Cyprus to find and order 50shoulder-fired missiles for that extremist touse in attacks against aeroplanes. Aftermeeting the ‘buyer’ several times in NewJersey to seal the deal he then asked forpayment to be wired to bank accounts in HongKong and Switzerland.
As an FBI official said: “Welcome to the worldof twenty-first century global crime andterror.”
The FBI also recognised that to conclude theanti-terrorist operation, they would need toliaise with other law enforcement and securitypartners across the globe.
The missile buyer was actually a US govern-ment informant who contacted the FBI afterhearing from the dealer. He agreed to help thepolice in an undercover sting.
Intelligence revealed that Lakhani planned toexport the surface-to-air missiles from Russia.Bureau agents flew to Moscow and met withrepresentatives of the Russian Federal SecurityService. The FSB explained Lakhani was
The harmless missile was offloaded in the port of Baltimore and later transferred up the coast to Newark
E Y E S P Y I S S U E 4 5 , 2 0 0 6
At the first meeting, two undercover FSBofficers posed as the suppliers and showedthe dealer the surface-to-air missile. As FBIagents listened in, Lakhani bought the missileand ordered 50 more. The transaction wasworth about $85,000 (£45,000).
Lakhani sent the fake missile to the UnitedStates where it was stored at a warehouse inBaltimore, allegedly disguised as medicalequipment.
He then met with the undercover informantfour times near Newark, New Jersey, tofinalise the sale. In the last meeting on 12August 2003, he recommended the under-cover ‘buyer’ use the missiles in simultaneousstrikes. “It will shake them,” he said. “Theywill run. They will think the war has started.”FSB agents were listening in the next roomand were present when Lakhani was arrested
already under investigation. A joint operationwas forged.
Lakhani travelled to Moscow and then to St.Petersburg to meet with missile suppliers. FBIand FSB agents already had him undersurveillance. An arms factory helped in theruse and provided a Russian-made shoulder-launched SA-18 Igla missile - a moveapproved by the US. However, the weaponhad already been rendered safe and itsexplosive charge removed.
SA-18 IglaCOURTESY: POLISH ARMED FORCES
moments later. He was arrested at a hotel inNewark, New Jersey after returning fromcollecting the crate, said to contain themissile, from the Baltimore warehouse.Shortly after, two more men were arrested at aNew York gem dealership on Fifth Avenue andcharged with helping to finance the deal.
During the trial, representatives of NewScotland Yard and the FSB testified - the firsttime FSB officers had ever offered testimonyin a US Federal Court. Lakhani was convictedby jury and sentenced to 47 years in prison.
The sting operation began around the sametime al-Qaida terrorists used shoulder-launched missiles and narrowly missed anIsraeli charter flight taking off from Mombasa,Kenya. Months earlier, another missile misseda US military jet taking off from Prince SultanAir Base in Saudi Arabia.
The sting operation involved securityforces from Russia, India, Great Britain
and the United States. Though the actualend game was played out in Newark,
much research had to be done onlocation in several countries
Real-time covert FBI filmfootage (frames) of
Hemant Lakhani in thehotel with undercover FBIagents posing as terrorist
weapons’ buyers
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