Replies

More on the Nukes, tells how they brought them in and who sold them, note all the Russia sources.

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Nonproliferation Studies
Updated September 2004

Trafficking Database Annual Summary Tables

2003 Summary by Incident
2003 Summary by Material

Doc. Code:
19970450
Headline:
Indictment of Alexander Darichev, Alexandr
Pogrebezskij, and Angelo Zeini
Date:
July 1997
Bibliography:
United States District Court, Southern District of
Florida, Case No. 97-0541
Author:

Orig. Src.:

Case:

Material:
nuclear weapons

Abstract:

On 30 June 1997, U.S. federal authorities in Miami, Florida
arrested two Lithuanian nationals and charged them with arranging
for the purchase of Bulgarian-manufactured portable anti-aircraft
missile systems and conspiring to import them illegally into the
United States, with a shipment of tactical nuclear weapons to
follow.

The defendants, Alexander Darichev and Alexandr
Pogrebezskij, were indicted for plotting a $3,200,000 deal to
import Strela 2M, Strela 3M, and Igla IE portable surface-to-air
missiles (SAM) systems into the United States.

Their actions
constituted a violation of the Arms Control Export Act, Title 22,
United States Code, Section 2778 and Title 18, United States
Code, Section 545.

Angelo Zeini, a Cypriot owner of the merchant
vessel (M/V) Al Fares, was also indicted for assisting in smuggling
the missile systems into the United States.

According to the indictment, the conspiracy to purchase and import
the missile systems took place from the time period on or about
13 March 1995 to on or about 27 June 1997.

Darichev and
Pogrebezskij claimed to be brokers of weapons and weapons
systems with contacts in Russian, Lithuanian, Bulgarian, and other
government agencies. Darichev and Pogrebezskij arranged for the
purchase and importation into the United States of the SAM
systems for two undercover U.S. Customs agents posing as former
Soviet nationals working for a Colombian narcotics trafficking ring.

They were to receive $50,000 for the purpose of purchasing two
sample SAM systems. The $50,000 was subsequently to be
laundered through an account held at Prudential Securities in the
name of Alita Corporation, whence it was to be transferred through
New York, NY to the Bank of Snoras in Vilnius, Lithuania.

According
to the indictment, Darichev and Pogrebezskij also arranged for the
SAM systems to be received in Bulgaria and transported to Puerto
Rico onboard the M/V Al Fares.

In order to facilitate the importation
of the missile systems, Darichev and Pogrebezskij directed the
undercover Customs agents to establish front companies to receive
the goods. U.S. Customs established Phoenix Arms International,
Amerieast, Global Enterprises of Miami, Inc., and Zodiac, Inc. for
this purpose.

In order to further facilitate the illicit transport,
moreover, Darichev and Pogrebezskij provided copies of shipping
documents for the M/V Al Fares, indicating that the Al Fares would
be transporting 15 40-foot containers of machinery and general
cargo. Zeini also informed the undercover Customs agents that the
SAMs would be stored among other containers onboard the Al Fares
in order to pass through the Strait of Gibralter.

Finally,
Pogrebezskij informed an undercover Customs agent of a false
letter indicating that Lithuania had received the SAMs, so that the
SAMs would not be traced to their actual U.S. destination.

According
to the indictment, between 3 June 1996 and 10 June 1996, further
discussions took place between Darichev and Pogrebezskij and the
undercover Customs agents on the possible sale and shipment of
tactical nuclear weapons.

Among the foreign entities involved in the conspiracy were a
Bulgarian company involved in manufacturing and trading arms
called Armimex, the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, the
Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, and an organization called 'Jupiter.'
The Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Section of Geopolitics
and Security, Scientific Technical Center Jupiter-Z in St. Petersburg,
Russia, reportedly assisted the suspects in locating the weapons of
mass destruction in question.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense
reportedly provided documents alleging that it had ordered the
missile systems.

Finally, Darichev stated that while searching for
weapons and weapons systems to purchase, he contacted a St.
Petersburg entity known as 'Jupiter.' According to Darichev, 'Jupiter'
is a KGB front company with a branch in Great Britain called Oxford
Electronics. When asked by undercover agents to contact 'Jupiter,'
however, Darichev refused, saying, 'these people are really
dangerous.'

The Center for Nonproliferation Studies has not verified the accuracy
or veracity of this report or the facts presented therein. For more
information on the material in this database please contact Dr. Scott
Parrish at sparrish@miis.edu.

This material is produced independently for NTI by
the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the
Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has
not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees,
agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.