By Danny Fenster
ticklethewire.com
Radio frequency modules from a Minnesota manufacturer, after being smuggled into Iran, ended up in improvised explosive devices used against U.S. soldiers on the battlefields of Iraq, federal authorities alleged this week.
Authorities in Singapore arrested Wong Yuh Lan (Wong), Lim Yong Nam (Nam), Lim Kow Seng (Seng), and Hia Soo Gan Benson (Hia) on Monday after a U.S. request for extradition to stand trial in DC . Hossein Larijani, a citizen of Iran, is also charged in the scheme, though he is still at large. Four companies were also indicted in the matter.
The group is accused of smuggling 6,000 radio communication devices into Iran in violation of trade laws; 16 of the devices were later found in bombs in Iraq. According to the FBI, the Singapore citizens bought the devices with a stated shipment location in Singapore, then knowingly had them illegally routed to purchasers in Iran, making tens of thousands of dollars.
“This case underscores the continuing threat posed by Iranian procurement networks seeking to obtain U.S. technology through fraud and the importance of safeguarding that technology,” Lisa Monaco, assistant attorney general for national security, said in the statement.
The 12-count indictment includes charges of conspiracy to defraud the US, smuggling, the illegal export of goods from the US to Iran, false statements and obstruction of justice, among other charges.
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