According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday, Australia has granted a request to extradite former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan to the United States, where he will be charged with having trained Chinese military pilots.
A 2017 indictment that was recently made public by a U.S. court accuses Duggan of violating American arms control laws by teaching Chinese military pilots how to land on aircraft carriers. Duggan was detained in custody after being apprehended in Australia in October.
The station stated that a magistrate would hear the case in January, however Duggan has appeals rights.
A request for comment from Attorney General Mark Dreyfus and his office was not immediately reacted to.
Dennis Miralis, Duggan’s attorney, was unavailable for comment right away. Duggan, according to Miralis, is an Australian citizen who has surrendered his American citizenship and has never broken any laws.
According to the 2017 indictment, “Duggan gave military instruction to PRC (People’s Republic of China) pilots” on three occasions between 2010 and 2012 while he was a citizen of the United States through a South African flight school.
He is also accused of teaching Chinese pilot trainees how to land on aircraft carriers and providing aviation services in China, as well as other infractions.
He is accused of conspiring to export defense services to China, conspiring to launder money, and breaking the Arms Export Control Act, among other U.S. allegations.
