The FBI approached the suspects, Yasin Aref, 34, the imam at the Masjid As-Salam mosque, and the mosque's founder, Mohammed Hoosain, 49, with the idea of laundering money. Hoosain is on the commitee of the mosque in Luton at the centre of the recent arrests.

They were apprehended when they agreed to launder the money so the presumed terrorist could buy a shoulder-fired missile. The charges involve material support to terrorists.

Authorities were conducting a raid at the mosque Thursday, a source said, and that the raid is being carried out by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The Associated Press cited two federal law enforcement sources who said the men who were arrested have ties to a group called Ansar al-Islam, a group with strong links to Al Qaeda