AFP
US officials have arrested an alleged Belgian arms dealer and charged him with plotting to export illegally to Iran F-5 fighter jet engines and parts, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Jacques Monsieur, 56, a Belgian national and resident of France suspected of being an international arms dealer for decades, was arrested on Friday after a six-month international sting operation.
He was due to appear in court in southern Alabama on Wednesday to be arraigned on six counts of violating the arms control act, smuggling, money-laundering and conspiracy. Some of the charges carry maximum sentences of 20 years in jail. A co-defendant, Iranian national Dara Fotouhi, also known as Dara Fatouhi, 54, who lives in France, has been charged in the case, but remains on the run, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
"The facts alleged in this indictment underscore the global reach of Iranian procurement networks and the international arms traffickers who help supply them," said Deputy Attorney General David Ogden. "This case also highlights the importance of keeping restricted US weapons technology out of their grasp." (Read more...)
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