WASHINGTON: US
justice officials on Tuesday charged four Singaporeans and one Iranian
with fraudulently exporting radio equipment to Iran that subsequently
ended up in roadside bombs in Iraq.
At least 16 radio antennas
were found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq,
the US Justice Department said in a statement, noting that the Iranian
suspect in the case is still at large.
The indictment said
thousands of antennas were meant to be exported from the United States
to Iran, and in addition to the four Singaporeans, four companies from
the Asian city state had been charged in the alleged plot.
Admiral
Mike Mullen, then the top US military officer, said in July that Iran
was stepping up its support for Shiite militants in Iraq, supplying them
with more sophisticated weapons that were being used against American
forces.
"Yesterday, authorities in Singapore arrested Wong Yuh
Lan (Wong), Lim Yong Nam (Nam), Lim Kow Seng (Seng), and Hia Soo Gan
Benson (Hia), all citizens of Singapore, in connection with a US request
for extradition," the justice department statement said.
"The
United States is seeking their extradition to stand trial in the
District of Columbia," where the US capital Washington is located.
"The remaining individual defendant, Hossein Larijani, is a citizen and resident of Iran who remains at large," it added.
Assistant
Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco said the defendants
had attempted to subvert export controls by sending US-origin components
to Iran rather than their stated destination of Singapore.
"Ultimately, several of these components were found in unexploded improvised explosive devices in Iraq," she said.
"This
case underscores the continuing threat posed by Iranian procurement
networks seeking to obtain US technology through fraud and the
importance of safeguarding that technology."
US Attorney Ronald
Machen said the defendants misled US companies in buying parts that
ended up in IEDs on the battlefield in Iraq. "We hope for a swift
response from Singapore to our request for extradition," he added.
US
officials regularly accuse Iran of meddling in the politics of
Baghdad's Shiite-led government, and training and backing militant
groups that target US troops in the south of Iraq.
Analysts have
voiced concern that Tehran's ability to interfere could increase as a
result of President Barack Obama's announcement last week that all US
troops will be pulled out of Iraq by the end of this year.
-AFP/ac