Homeland Security agents have arrested an Iranian man in Florida on charges that he attempted to smuggle $750,000 worth of restricted F-14 fighter aircraft parts out of the United States for use by the Iranian military, according to officials and court documents.
Serzhik Avasappian, 40, was arrested as part of a sting operation Sept. 19 at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, where he allegedly met with an undercover agent from the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an informant, who were posing as weapons brokers, according to court documents.
Avasappian "held himself out to be a broker of aircraft parts, living in Tehran, who was trying to acquire parts on behalf of the Iranian government," according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale. He flew into the Miami area to arrange a test shipment in preparation for a larger purchase of F-14 fighter parts in the future, the documents allege.
Advertisement
The arrest is part of a broader crackdown by the bureau, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies on sales of arms to Iran in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. In July, federal agents raided the offices of 18 U.S. companies in 10 states that did business with a London company suspected of funneling weapons to Iran. A man arrested in 2001 was sentenced in connection with a plan to export aircraft cannons to Iran through Switzerland.
The case also comes amid escalating tension between Iran and Western nations over allegations that Tehran is pursuing a clandestine nuclear weapons program in defiance of international agreements. President Bush has called Iran part of an "axis of evil," along with North Korea and Iraq under Saddam Hussein, and Iran has been accused of providing refuge for senior members of the al Qaeda terrorist network.
Representatives of the Iranian interests section in Washington could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Advertisement
According to court documents, undercover customs agents began negotiating with Avasappian in January 2002 to export military components to Iran. The discussions included parts for F-14 Tomcat fighter jets and C-130A Hercules transport planes, as well as the purchase and shipment of helicopters, the criminal complaint says.
The U.S. agents repeatedly noted that shipping military parts to Iran would be illegal, but Avasappian suggested the parts could be shipped to Italy and flown secretly from there to Iran, according to the complaint.
Avasappian allegedly faxed the customs agents a list of desired components for the F-14 valued at $750,000. He later requested a test shipment of 120 parts valued at $38,000 and arrived in Miami from London on Sept. 16 to finalize the deal, the complaint says. He lied on immigration forms by claiming to be visiting the United States to discuss the purchase of medical equipment, according to the documents.
Advertisement
When he was arrested on Sept. 19, Avasappian allegedly admitted knowing that his attempt to smuggle military parts to Iran was illegal. Documents outlining the proposed weapons deal were found stuffed between the mattress and box spring in his hotel room, according to the complaint.
"While these components may appear relatively innocuous to the untrained eye, they are tightly controlled for good reason," Jesus Torres, special agent in charge of the Miami customs office, said in a statement. "In the wrong hands, they pose a potential threat to Americans at home and abroad."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZK6zr8eirZ5noKS5qsDInKpoamBlgHB8mGhpbmeZp66vtcCnZJqqoprAtbHDZqCnZZahvLO1w5pkrKyZo7Rwr5VqaZqdlJZ6cYKXnmRtaZSaenl%2BkJ1knmxiZ4R1f8NxZ3CeXw%3D%3D