December 6, 2003	Saturday	Shawwal 11, 1424

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WASHINGTON, Dec 5: A suburban Chicago woman has been charged with attempting to export components for remote-controlled aircraft to Pakistan, US officials said on Friday.

They said the accused has already pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents when she told them that she was not involved in the attempted smuggling.

Authorities said the aircraft was capable of delivering explosives. Now Mariam Aidroos, 50, has admitted under a plea deal that she tried to send the high-tech gear — which included radios, modems and autopilot systems — to a company in Pakistan, officials said.

In May, she told FBI and Homeland Security agents that she did not buy the cargo and was unfamiliar with it.

When she was arrested, federal officials said the equipment could have been used in the operation of a remote-controlled aircraft capable of delivering a 220-pound military payload.

Defence attorney Thomas Durkin said his client had sought to export the equipment at the request of a relative in Pakistan and didn’t know why the relative wanted it.

Assistant US Attorney Jeffrey H. Cramer said the investigation was ongoing.

Qudssia Akhlaque adds from Islamabad: When the foreign office spokesman Masood Khan’s attention was drawn to the report over the phone on Friday night, he said: “It sounded bizarre but we shall look into it.”

When asked if anything in this context had been officially communicated to Pakistan, the spokesman said: “Not to my knowledge.”