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Terror Briton jailed for 47 years
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Lakhani was convicted in April of attempting to support terrorism after being caught in a sting. He was also convicted at the court in Newark, New Jersey, of weapons brokering, money laundering and importing goods using false statements. The 69-year-old, from Hendon, north London, had denied the charges, saying he was a victim of entrapment. Lakhani was arrested in August 2003 after offering a shoulder-fired Igla missile to an FBI agent posing as a Somali terrorist. He was one of three people held after a two-year operation by the FBI, UK and Russian intelligence services. Judge Katherine Hayden told New Jersey District Court in Newark: "There is overwhelming evidence that Mr Lakhani was prepared to sell missiles to terrorists to shoot down aircraft which could have killed hundreds of human beings.
The judge dismissed three attempts to secure a retrial, saying media interviews with a juror who said she was pressured into finding Lakhani guilty were not sufficient. The judge said because of the defendant's age and ill health, he should be allowed supervised release and be held in a jail that allowed him to be treated. Lakhani tearfully pleaded for leniency: "You have no idea what this has done to me. "My health is no good, I can hardly walk, I do not want to die here in this country. "Me, my wife and my son are a small unit and I wish to get home as soon as possible. Everybody wants to die in their own motherland. I am completely exhausted." Entrapment claims Prosecutor Stuart Rabner said: "This is a man that is so morally bankrupt he doesn't care if his actions cause the deaths of thousands as long as he makes money. "We see a man who worked for years to break into the arms trade, who volunteered praise for Osama Bin Laden and travelled more than a dozen times to Russia, the Ukraine and the US to make this deal." But his lawyer, Henry Klingeman, had told the court during the trial: "There was no missile plot until the government created it." Mr Klingeman described his client as a "joke" who "couldn't finish a deal if his life depended on it". Lakhani had wanted to make money and was enjoying the attention but was not an illegal arms dealer, Mr Klingeman said. But prosecutors said there had been no entrapment and said Lakhani had participated with "gusto". They also claimed he had tried to sell arms to at least three countries. The trial, which began in January, had to be repeatedly adjourned as Lakhani underwent surgery for severe artery damage, a double hernia and internal bleeding. Lakhani was born in India, but had lived in the UK for 45 years. |
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There was no missile plot until the government created it 
BBC NEWS UK The bogus arms deal which led to jail
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The bogus arms deal which led to jail
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The 69-year-old, of Hendon, north London, had denied the charges, saying he was a victim of entrapment The BBC News website looks at the background to the case. In 2001 Hemant Lakhani, an Indian-born British businessman living in Hendon, north London, went to Dubai to look for financial backing for a £130m deal on an Indian oil-refinery project. While he was there, a contact encouraged him to speak to a rich Saudi friend who could help. The friend was Mohammed Habib Rehman, also known as Air Haji, an undercover US Government informant. The pair began conversations in December 2001. Mr Rehman told Lakhani he represented a rebel Somali liberation group and was interested in arms - in particular shoulder-fired missiles. Lakhani, who was eager to please his new contact, said he would try to help. He had previously made one arms deal, which was the legal sale of 11 armoured personnel carriers to the government of Angola. Illegal deal To make the deal for Mr Rehman, Lakhani received help from a man called Sergi in the Ukraine. Lakhani has claimed Sergi was working for Russian intelligence. Sergi said he could supply Lakhani with Russian-made shoulder-fired missiles, called Igla. When Lakhani told Mr Rehman he could get hold of the missiles, Mr Rehman instructed him to export the weapon to New Jersey, promising cash. Mr Rehman said he would buy 200 weapons - a deal worth £11m, but told Lakhani to ship in one sample missile to begin with. The two later met up at a hotel overlooking Newark airport in New Jersey. Mr Rehman explained to Lakhani that the deal was illegal. He also told him he planned to use the missiles on the first anniversary of the 11 September attacks, and suggested the missile would be used to target a commercial aircraft. However as time went on, Lakhani began to make remarks about the risks they were taking, saying the deal was "very dangerous" and "not very easy". In November 2002, he told Mr Rehman: "This business is getting so dangerous. No one has the guts to do it... I won't do anything if it's risky." Despite the risks, the plans eventually took shape, and in July 2003 Lakhani and Mr Rehman travelled to Russia, under the watch of intelligence agents, to meet with the suppliers and inspect the missile. But unknown to Lakhani, the missile had been replaced with a replica model. On August 12, 2003, the missile was delivered to Newark. Lakhani met Mr Rehman there to inspect the weapon, saying: "I can't believe what we have done." After discussing payment for the remainder of the order, Mr Rehman left the room. It was then stormed by FBI agents and customs officials. Lakhani was charged and then placed in custody in New Jersey until his trial, which began in January 2005. |
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