An American student who was arrested in London as he prepared to board a flight to Pakistan is wanted in New York for allegedly providing military gear to al-Qaeda, officials said Wednesday.The suspect, 26-year-old Syed Hashmi, is charged in an indictment unsealed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court with providing military equipment to people who took it to members of Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organisation in Pakistan. The military gear was “to be used by al-Qaeda to fight against United States forces in Afghanistan,” the indictment said, without elaborating on what the equipment was. It alleged that Hashmi and others conspired to provide, and then actually provided, “material support or resources” to al-Qaeda between January 2004 and last month.
A New York grand jury also charged Hashmi with conspiring to assist al-Qaeda further by agreeing “to make and receive a contribution of funds, goods and services” to the terrorist group. Hamshi appeared in a London court on Wednesday and refused to consent to extradition. He spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth in a brief appearance. A judge denied Hashmi’s application for bail and ordered him held until his next court date on June 15.
Hashmi was arrested Tuesday night at Heathrow Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Pakistan, prosecutors in London said.
Prosecuting attorney Laura Rosefield, representing the United States, said he was carrying “a large amount of cash” when he was arrested. Rosefield said Hashmi was a US citizen who had lived in Britain since 2003, though his student visa had expired.
British police said on Wednesday they had arrested a man under anti-terrorism powers at an airport in northern England, an operation the BBC reported was linked to a security swoop last week in Canada.
A 21-year-old man from Bradford was detained at Manchester Airport late on Tuesday and has been taken to a police station in West Yorkshire, a police spokesman said.
The BBC, citing unnamed sources, said the man, believed to be of Pakistani origin, was being questioned in connection with the arrest last week of 17 Muslim men in Canada’s largest counter-terrorism operation. Several are charged with plotting bombings in major Canadian cities and training militants. West Yorkshire Police said the BBC report was “speculation” and would not comment further.