[Kabar-indonesia] Third S'porean held in US over arms smuggling

[Joyo at aol.com]

also: ST: Other cases in the US

The Straits Times (Singapore) 
Sunday, October 1, 2006

Third S'porean held in US over arms smuggling

The 55-year-old, along with 2 Indonesians, were
allegedly involved in a $4.7m deal to send arms to
Tamil Tigers

Chong Chee Kin

ANOTHER Singaporean man has landed himself in a United
States court on suspicion of arms smuggling, the third
to be arrested for such offences this year.

Haniffa Osman, 55, is now in custody in the US for his
alleged involvement in a US$3 million (S$4.7 million)
arms deal involving state-of-the-art weapons,
including surface-to-air missiles, destined for the
Tamil Tigers, according to a statement from the US
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Sri Lankan organisation, also known as the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has been labelled a
terrorist group by both the US and the European Union.
It is fighting for a separate state in Sri Lanka.

The 55-year-old was one of three men arrested in a
sting operation on Tuesday. The other two were Erick
Wotulo, 60, and Haji Subandi, 69, both Indonesians.

Posing as arms manufacturers, undercover officers had
been in contact with the trio from around March 2004
when Subandi first approached them with a shopping
list of weapons that included surface-to-air missiles
and machine guns and asked for a quotation.

Haniffa now faces charges of conspiring to export arms
and munitions, providing support to a terrorist
organisation and money laundering, ICE said in a press
statement.

When contacted yesterday, a Ministry of Foreign
Affairs spokesman said its embassy in Washington was
aware of the case.

'We are in contact with the authorities and are trying
to find out more about the case. We will also render
consular assistance to the Singaporean involved,' she
said.

Haniffa is said to have met US undercover agents in
Baltimore between June and August this year and
arranged for a shipment of weapons that included
grenade launchers, sniper rifles and submachine guns.

According to the ICE, Haniffa told undercover agents
that the 'arms transfer' to the Tamil Tigers was
illegal and wanted the weapons delivered in
international waters 200km off the coast of Sri Lanka.

He was then said to have provided the agents with
navigational coordinates for a delivery in the Indian
Ocean and 'asked about serial numbers on the weapons
in the event they fell into the hands of the Sri
Lankan Army'.

On July 28, Haniffa was said to have gone to a firing
range in Maryland to test out some of the weapons.

About a week later, the investigators received a
US$250,000 down payment, which Haniffa allegedly told
them was 'wired from a business controlled by a member
of the Tamil Tigers'.

In August, he was believed to have requested photos
and technical specifications for surface-to-air
missiles to be used against the Sri Lankan Air Force.

Agents said he told them that if the current deal was
successful, a subsequent one worth as much as US$15
million could be set up.

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The Straits Times (Singapore) 
Sunday, October 1, 2006

Other cases in the US

Illegal exports to Syria and Indonesia

April 2006

CHIA Kia Cheng, 60 ? also known as Ronald KC Chia ?
was charged with attempting to illegally export
defence items without a US State Department licence in
a San Diego district court.

In March last year, he is said to have inquired about
buying and exporting M-16 rifles.

Through e-mail message exchanges and phone contacts,
he is said to have finalised a deal with an undercover
agent for several automatic rifles and a rifle scope
to be sent to certain addresses in Indonesia and
Syria.

Illegal exports to Indonesia

April 2006

IBRAHIM Amran, 46, was charged, together with an
Indonesian, in a Detroit court with attempting to buy
and export US$500,000 (S$793,000) worth of military
equipment.

Negotiations started in March last year, when an arms
embargo imposed on Indonesia in 1992 was still in
place.

Meetings between Ibrahim and representatives of a
US-based military equipment firm took place in London,
as well as Michigan in the United States, and
correspondence was exchanged over e-mail. Over a
three-month period in December last year, money was
transferred three times from Singapore to a bank
account in Michigan.

The cache comprised parts for military aircraft,
including missiles, radar parts, MP-5 submachine guns
and 16 sniper rifles.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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