Agence France presse – A former Iranian ambassador to Jordan has been arrested in Britain on behalf of US authorities, accused of plotting to sell military equipment from the United States to Iran, police told AFP.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police in London executed an extradition warrant at the request of the United States and arrested Nosratollah Tajik at his home in Durham, northeast England, on October 26, a spokesman said.
He appeared before the City of Westminster Magistrates Court the following day, where his case was adjourned.
The details came to light in a front-page article of the Mail on Sunday newspaper which claimed that Tajik was caught in a "sting" operation by undercover US agents working in Britain.
The newspaper claimed the officials from the Department of Homeland Security "set up" Tajik by posing as arms dealers wanting to sell night-vision goggles to the Islamic Republic in breach of US export controls.
It said the alleged practice raised questions about whether British authorities were aware of the operation and if so the extent of US spies working here and gathering evidence using techniques inadmissable here.
Tajik, an honorary fellow at Durham University’s Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies with an engineering degree from the University of Westminster in London, will contest the claims, the newspaper said.
It quoted unnamed sources close to the businessman as saying he will claim he has no terrorist connections or criminal record and the US officials acted as "agents provocateurs" and trapped him illegally.
He is also said to feel he is being made a scapegoat for Washington’s opposition to Tehran over its disputed nuclear programme.
The Metropolitan Police refused to comment on the newspaper’s allegations, telling AFP that it "does not do anything illegal".
