A U.S. company exported 6,000 radio frequency modules to a firm in Singapore that ended up being transferred to Iran and used in the detonation systems of IEDs used against U.S. troops in Iraq. The charges were outlined in an indictment that the Justice Department unsealed, The Washington Post reported.
The indictment said four citizens of Singapore told the Minnesota-based company that the parts were for a telecommunications project. After the parts were delivered to Singapore, they were sent to Iran, the Post reported.
The four men were arrested in Singapore, and the Justice Department is seeking their extradition. The indictment also charges an Iranian citizen who remains at large. The man, Hossein Larijani, owned Opto Electronics in Singapore and Paya Electronics Complex in Tehran, the Post reported.
Charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, smuggling, illegal export of goods, false statements, and obstruction of justice.
“This case underscores the continuing threat posed by Iranian procurement networks seeking to obtain U.S. technology through fraud,” said Lisa Monaco, assistant attorney general for national security\.
The Minnesota firm is not accused of any wrongdoing. The shipments were made in four batches in 2007 and 2008, and the devices were found in 16 IEDs between 2008 and 2010.
“This is the first prosecution in which the government has alleged that it has the evidence to trace — by serial number — specific components exported from the United States to Iran, and later to IEDs in Iraq,” Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd told the Post.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.