Authorities in Australia have granted the United States request to extradite former Marine Major Duggan for allegedly training Chinese jet pilots.
In a statement released on December 28th, the Australian Department of Justice confirmed that on December 9th, it had received a request from US authorities to extradite Daniel Duggan.
“The Justice Minister approved the request, and Mr. Duggan’s lawyer has been notified,” the Australian Department of Justice said.
Dennis Miralis, Duggan’s lawyer, did not comment on the Australian Department of Justice’s decision. Earlier, lawyer Miralis said the client had renounced his US and Australian citizenship and denied all allegations.
Mr. Duggan, a former United States Marine Corps officer, was detained in Australia in October on charges of breaking US arms control regulations by teaching Chinese fighter pilots how to land on aircraft carriers.
According to the 2017 US court indictment, “Duggan trained Chinese pilots at a flying school in South Africa three times between 2010 and 2021 while still a US citizen.”
Additionally, Duggan is suspected of working in the aviation sector in China, where he would evaluate military pilot students and guide landings on aircraft ships.
Prior to his detention, Duggan had been a resident of China for around five years. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, the guy settled in Australia, where he established and directed the adventure travel company Top Gun from Tasmania.
According to the official Top Gun website, Duggan served as a Marine Corps pilot for over a decade, rose to the rank of major, and eventually became a tactical flight teacher.
So yes, China has said nothing in response to reports about Duggan. Carrier pilot training has been a top goal for China as they have worked to construct aircraft carriers and establish carrier-based air groups over the past decade.