Three men arrested in a Hong Kong hotel after they allegedly tried to buy Stinger anti-aircraft missiles for al-Qaeda yesterday dropped their fight against extradition and asked to be sent to the US for trial as soon as possible.
The surprise move came as the three - arrested after a sting by undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation officers - appeared in court for what was to be the first day of a five-day hearing.
Barrister Jonathan Acton-Bond told Magistrate William Ng at Eastern Court that the three 'wish to accept the extradition on the charges upon which their extradition is sought'.
The court was given no reason. They are expected to be sent to the US within weeks, once Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa rubber-stamps their extradition.
Pakistanis Syed Saadat Ali Faraz, 54, Muhammed Abid Afridi, 29, and Indian-born US citizen Ilyas Ali, 55, were arrested on September 20 last year in the Conrad hotel. The three men had allegedly offered drugs in return for Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to undercover FBI agents at three meetings between September 16 and 18 at the Island Shangri-La hotel.
They were indicted in September in a California court on three charges of conspiracy to distribute and import 600kg of heroin and five tonnes of hashish as well as providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organisations.