A SINGAPORE businessman, accused of committing terrorism-related conspiracy offences overseas, will be extradited to the United States.

At a hearing on Monday, District Judge Roy Neighbour ruled that there was sufficient evidence to justify a hearing of the offences for which Balldev Naidu Ragavan, 47, stands accused in the US.

He is alleged to have conspired with another Singaporean, Haniffa Osman, who is now behind bars in a US prison for trying to buy weapons for Sri Lankan rebel outfit, the Tamil Tigers.

Haniffa, 57, pleaded guilty a year ago and was given 37 months' jail by a Baltimore court.

Naidu is said to have, between February and September 2006, acted as a broker and middleman between firearm manufacturers and purchasers and/or end-users.

The affidavit also showed that the fugitive had located his source of the firearms through a group of Indonesians, and conspired to export them illegally from the United States to Sri Lanka.

elena@sph.com.sg

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.