Posted: 19 October 2010 0942 hrs
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man has been convicted of
terrorism charges, in the US State of Maryland.
A federal jury in Baltimore found Balraj Naidu "conspired to"
provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation.
A statement from the US Justice Department said the 48 year old
aided Sri Lanka's defeated Tamil Tiger separatists, in the
attempted purchase of grenade launchers, sniper rifles, machine
guns and other firearms.
The US designated the Tamil Tigers as a foreign terror organisation
in 1997.
The group cannot legally raise money or procure operational
equipment in the US.
The conspiracy to acquire weapons took place in April 20-06.
Naidu and four co-conspirators entered into a deal to buy US-made
weapons from a company in Maryland, not knowing the deal was an
undercover operation.
Under the US$900,000-deal, weapons were to be delivered to
international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka.
But the arms went only as far as the US territory of Guam, before
Naidu's co-conspirators were arrested.
Naidu himself was extradited from Singapore to the US in December
last year.
His four co-conspirators included a Singaporean man Haniffa Osman,
two Indonesians and a Sri Lankan.
All four have been convicted and jailed, with sentences ranging
from 30 to 57 months.
Naidu will be sentenced on December 16 this year.
-CNA/wk
