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While these exports were happening, Iran had already signed a nuclear non-proliferation deal with six world powers
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This was amid suspicion that it was still making fissile material that could be used in nuclear weapons
The United States has formally charged an Iranian man of illegally exporting laboratory equipment home, the US Department of Justice has said in a statement.
The DoJ statement said the individual, identified as one Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, aka Reza Sarhang, could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of the charges brought against him.
It said the man is a 46-year-old an Iranian national residing in Montreal in Canada. Kafrani is said to have co-owned the Canada-based company Prolife Global, which conducted business in the US and elsewhere.
The DoJ said in its statement: “In November 2015, Kafrani began negotiating with a US company to purchase mass spectrometry equipment for import to Canada. During those negotiations, Kafrani initially inquired about costs to ship and install the equipment in Montreal, Canada.
It added: “Later, however, Kafrani asked a representative of the company if the installation costs were the same for the Middle East, and the representative of the company emailed Kafrani, saying, ‘You know there are sanctions in place for Iran.’ Kafrani was unable to purchase the equipment from this company.”
He is then alleged to have begun negotiations with a second US company to buy similar mass spectrometry equipment in March 2016.
“Ultimately, he and a co-conspirator were able to purchase three mass spectrometers and an autosampler, used to automatically load samples into the mass spectrometer, for a total of approximately $110,739,” said the DoJ in its statement.
The problem is, such equipment are reportedly controlled for nuclear non-proliferation reasons and therefore require a license to be exported from the US to either Iran or the UAE.
Iran has, for years now, been on the world’s radar for its nuclear development program, which many nations fear could produce weapons of mass destruction that might then be used against them.
While all these exports were happening, Iran had already signed a nuclear non-proliferation deal with six world powers, amid suspicion that it was still making fissile material that could be used in nuclear weapons.
Given that Kafrani used got these equipment from the US to Iran via Canada and the UAE without declaring the true intent of their used, the US District Court for the District of Columbia has indicted him on several charges.
The DoJ said these include “one count of conspiracy, two counts of violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, one count of causing a failure to submit export information, and six counts of money laundering.”
It added: “Charges of conspiracy and failing to submit export information carry a statutory maximum of five years in prison. Violations of the IEEPA and money laundering charges carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties.”