Three men have been arrested in Hong Kong over an alleged attempt to buy four Stinger anti-aircraft missiles for al Qaeda from undercover FBI agents, Hong Kong said.
"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 organisation, namely the al-Qaeda," the Hong Kong government said in a statement today.
It was the first time Hong Kong authorities had reported any al Qaeda-linked activities in the Chinese territory.
The Stinger is a small shoulder-launched missile designed for attacking aircraft at low altitude, possibly during take-off or landing.
The three detainees, two Pakistanis and a US citizen of Indian origin, appeared in a Hong Kong court on Tuesday to fight an extradition request from the United States.
They had been arrested on September 20 for trying to sell 600 kilogrammes of heroin and five tonnes of hashish to fund the purchase of the missiles, the statement said.
The court remanded them in custody until November 15th pending further information from Washington, the government said.
Hong Kong, a former British colony which reverted to Chinese rule in 1997, has an extradition agreement with the United States, although Beijing does not.