Washington: A British man of Indian origin, allegedly having links with underworld in Mumbai, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for smuggling a sophisticated surface-to-air Russian missile into the United States.

The man was arrested late August 12 at a hotel near Newark International Airport in New Jersey, as part of an international sting operation run by the FBI, in conjunction with British and Russian authorities, a US law enforcement official said on condition of anonymity.

He was arrested after agreeing to sell a sophisticated Russian SA-18 Igla missile to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Muslim extremist, the official said.

The man's name and the charges were not immediately disclosed.

The law enforcement official said he does not appear to be connected to a known terrorist group and is thought to be more of an arms dealer or smuggler.

Authorities stressed that no specific, credible threat was connected to the alleged plot.

US Justice Department officials had no immediate comment on the case.

BBC reported that the man, an arms dealer who lives in London, has connections with the Indian underworld in Mumbai but did not elaborate.

CNN has identified the man as being of Indian origin.

PTI