US may have ‘lured’ arrested pilot from China to Australia, lawyer says

Daniel Duggan faces extradition to the United States, charged with breaking US law by training Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers

He had a security clearance to return to Australia, but this was revoked and an arrest warrant issued while he was on the plane home, his lawyer said

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Daniel Duggan is accused by the US of providing military training to pilots working for China. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:04am, 20 Mar 2023

A former US Marine Corps pilot may have been “lured” from China to Australia by security agencies before his arrest, his lawyer said outside court on Monday after an extradition hearing in Sydney.

Daniel Duggan, 54, is facing extradition to the United States on charges of breaking US law by training Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers.

He was arrested by Australian federal police in a rural town in New South Wales state in October, soon after returning from China, where he had lived since 2014.

In the same week, Britain had issued a warning to its former defence staff not to train Chinese People’s Liberation Army pilots at a South African flying academy where Duggan had also worked.

The Silverwater Correctional Complex in the Australian state of New South Wales where Duggan is being held. Photo: Handout

On Monday, Duggan’s extradition case was adjourned until May, as his lawyers seek access to documents from Australian government agencies for his defence.

Outside court, Duggan’s lawyer Dennis Miralis said the pilot had been given a security clearance by the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation to start a new aviation job before he returned from China, but an arrest warrant was issued while he was on the plane home and his security clearance was revoked.