Agency (London):
Sundar Nagarajan, a 65-year-old Indian national, has been extradited to the United States following his arrest in London on charges related to terrorism financing. The extradition comes after a coordinated action between US and UK authorities targeting the financing of terrorism.
Nagarajan, originally from Madurai, was apprehended by the Metropolitan Police’s National Extradition Unit in Hayes, west London, on April 18. The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) informed Westminster Magistrates’ Court that Nagarajan is linked to the finances of the Hizballah terrorist organization and faces charges of fraud and money laundering in the US.
The CPS confirmed that Nagarajan was successfully removed to the US on December 8. Initially, he had challenged his extradition on human rights and dual criminality grounds, with a trial scheduled for January 2024 in London. The reasons for his subsequent consent to extradition remain unclear.
Nagarajan’s arrest was part of a broader investigation by the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command. This included the arrest of a 50-year-old man in Wales on suspicion of funding terrorism. The investigation relates to suspected terrorist financing and money laundering connected to wealthy art collector and diamond dealer Nazem Ahmad. Ahmad is believed to be a funding source for Hizballah, a terrorist organization proscribed in both the UK and US.
The extradition of Nagarajan marks a significant development in international efforts to combat terrorism financing, reflecting the close cooperation between US and UK law enforcement agencies.
