Dutch Company Charged with Illegal Exports to Iran

The Justice Department has charged a Dutch aviation services company, as well as its owner and an additional two companies, in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia. The companies and the individual have all been charged with illegally exporting items, namely aluminum, aircraft components, and other types of equipment from the United States to Iran and to the government of Iran as well. This is in direct violation of U.S. embargoes. The defendants also face charges of making false statements on the export control documents.

Those named in the complaint are Aviation Services International, B.V., which is an aircraft parts supply company in the Netherlands and te company's owner Robert Kraaipoel. The other two companies that have been charged are both Dutch companies namely, Delta Logistics L.V., and TPC, B.V., which just happen to be owned by Kraaipoel's son. The sons are also listed as defendants.

They have issued an arrest warrant for Kraaipoel, a citizen of the Netherlands. He is believed to be there at the present time. The Dutch Customs officials are conducting their own investigation into his business practices.

According to the details made public in the complaint, the Dutch Customs official informed the U.S. officials in the Netherlands about the actions of the company. They have said that just in 2006, Aviation Services was able to obtain in excess of 290 different items, among them parachutes, aircraft parts, aircraft paints, and industrial chemicals. They obtained the items from the United States and then forwarded them onto Iran. Further information from the Dutch officials show that much of the merchandise was sent to agencies of the government of Iran, Iranian agencies and companies that do business in Iran. Some of the firms and government agencies who received the items are Heavy Metals Industries in Tehran, Iran Aircraft Industries in Tehran, and Iran Helicopter Support and Renewal Co. in Tehran.