WASHINGTON, Aug 13: Three men, including a British citizen, were arrested in New Jersey on Tuesday on suspicion of trying to smuggle surface-to-air missile into the United States.

The British national of Indian origin was arrested as part of an international sting operation run by the FBI, officials said.

The two other unidentified suspects were expected to be charged with helping to finance the deal that called for purchasing a Russian-made missile.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation official, who declined to be named, said the arrest of the British man was part of a sting operation carried out in conjunction with British and Russian authorities.

Authorities believed the man was selling arms to would-be terrorists.

The FBI official had earlier said additional arrests would occur.

Last week, US officials said aviation security experts were dispatched to Iraq, Europe and Asia amid fears terrorists could use shoulder-fired missiles to shoot down passenger jets, officials said.

Recent intelligence reports have warned of a possible terrorist attack using small heat-seeking missiles, following several near-misses outside the United States.

Officials began to focus on the threat from shoulder-mounted missiles in November, when unknown assailants narrowly missed an Israeli charter flight taking off from Mombasa, Kenya.

In May, another missile missed a US military jet taking off from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaeda is suspected in both attacks.

In Iraq last month, a US C-130 military transport plane came under fire from a surface-to-air missile as it landed at Baghdad’s airport.—AFP