The US will drop three out of four charges it initially planned to bring against Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Major Mohd Faiz Abdul Jalil who was arrested at a Texas airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle a gun.

“In the early stages, prosecutors planned to bring four charges against Mohd Faiz.

“However, he will (now) be charged with only one offence, that is a non-immigrant in possession of a weapon and/or ammunition,” the RMAF said in a statement today.

Mohd Faiz was on April 16 arrested at Mathis Field Airport, San Angelo, Texas after Transportation Security Administration agents found a disassembled Taurus PT-22, a .22 calibre pistol, hidden in several parts of his luggage.

He was scheduled to fly to Kuala Lumpur via Dallas, Texas.

Mohd Faiz reportedly told Homeland Security agents he had bought the weapon at a gun show in Texas without any papers.

He was in the US on an A2 non-immigrant diplomatic visa for military training at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo since Jan 5.

Mohd Faiz’s hearing fixed for yesterday was postponed to an undetermined date. He is awaiting trial at Lubbock County Jail, Texas, said RMAF.

“RMAF is focussing on caring for the welfare of the officer’s family, especially under the current difficult situation.

“The Defence Ministry Attache’s Office in Washington is following closely the developments of the officer’s case and will inform the Defence Ministry for further action,” it said.