Posted on 03/23/2006 5:14:14 AM PST by Calpernia
VETERAN PAKISTANI ARMS DEALER CONVICTED IN PLOT TO ILLEGALLY EXPORT U.S. FIGHTER JET COMPONENTS TO MIDDLE EAST
SAN DIEGO – -- United States Attorney Carol C. Lam announced that today a federal jury in San Diego found Arif Ali Durrani guilty of multiple violations of the Arms Export Control Act. Specifically, the jury convicted Durrani of four counts of Exporting Defense Articles Without a License and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Offenses Against the United States.
According to Assistant United States Attorney William Cole, who prosecuted the case, the evidence at trial established that Durrani intentionally conspired with other persons to illegally export military aircraft parts from the United States to the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Belgium. The illegal exports included: temperature control amplifiers for the General Electric J85 turbine engine used on the F-5 fighter and other military aircraft; an afterburner hydraulic actuator for the J85 engine; and 1st Stage Turbine Nozzles for the Honeywell T55 engine used on the Chinook military helicopter.
At trial, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents testified that many of the military components in Durrani’s illegal export plot were ultimately destined for Iran. According to court documents, Durrani, a Pakistani national, was previously convicted in 1987 of violating the Arms Export Control Act by illegally exporting HAWK missile system components from the United States to Iran. Durrani was subsequently ordered deported from the United States. The evidence at trial established that, after his deportation, Durrani settled in Rosarito Beach, Mexico, and from there orchestrated the illegal exports for which the jury found him guilty today.
The conviction today stemmed from an extensive investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. United States Attorney Lam stated, "The Arms Export Control Act exists to prevent exactly what Durrani tried to do in this case - profit from illegal, international arms trafficking." "Durrani is one of ICE's most significant arms trafficking targets in recent years. Today's conviction is testament to the perseverance of ICE agents, who, for nearly two decades, have conducted multiple investigations to expose and halt Durrani's repeated attempts to illegally export arms," said Serge Duarte, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge for ICE investigations in San Diego.
"DCIS protects America's Warfighters by working to ensure defense technology is not stolen by those who could use it against the United States or its allies," said Richard W. Gwin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Durrani is scheduled to appear for sentencing before United States District Court Judge Larry A. Burns on June 5, 2006, at 9:30 a.m.
-- ICE --
United Arab Emirates mentioned again here.
ICE ping
I thought Muslims were gods greatest creations? You'd think they could just manufacture what they want themselves instead of having to smuggle in parts from the infidels. </sarc>
Hmmmmmm.
Shipping to our 'friends' in the UAE.
Gotcha.
UAE mentioned in the link in post 1 too.
These people can steal an airplane and fly it into a great building, but they can neither build an airplane, or a great building.
FWIW.
Thanks, I see that now.
If the UAE ran the ports, I'm convinced now, that these types of components would be a piece of cake to export.
Funny about the ports deal, I was more worried about what might arrive AT our ports. Hadn't really considered what might be transported out.
I'm still totally confused about that whole port deal debacle.
Me too.
I wonder what the plans were for it. Sounds more like they were sending it over in order to assemble items for training, possibly in a legit school environment? We already train people from there, so I don't know...makes you go "hmmm"
Are you talking about Iran?
Might be interesting to find out what the quantities were, they might have found these parts were perfect for something else they are doing.
They mention the J-85 is used on the F-5, but don't mention that it's original purpose was as a one time use drone motor. Hmm...
I forgot about that!
They might - we always thought of the J-85 as a tinkertoy. But then again, we were working on real jet engines.
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