Two charged in plot to smuggle arms from US to Indonesia

CHICAGO (AFP) - An Indonesian and a Singapore man have been charged with attempting to smuggle arms from the United States to Indonesia, federal prosecutors said.

The two men tried to purchase 500,000 dollars worth of parts to be used for radar and missile guidance systems on military aircraft and one million dollars' worth of machine guns, sniper rifles and other weapons, the criminal indictment said.

None of the weapons made it out of the country, prosecutors said.

"The phrase border security means more than just holding the line against people and things that shouldn't get into the United States. Equally important is protecting what goes out," Brian Moskowitz, special agent in charge of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Detroit, said in a statement.

"Guarding against the illegal export of America's controlled arms and critical technology is a vital component of ICE's strategy to protect America's national security interests in a global economy."

Hadianto Djoko Djuliarso, 41, of Indonesia and Ibrahim Bin Amran, 46, of Singapore were arrested in Hawaii. Both men face penalties of up to 25 years in prison and fines of over 1 million dollars.