Spain: four arrested for trying to export to Iran

The Guardia Civil said in a statement yesterday (Monday) that an Iranian and three Spaniards who secretly tried to export industrial equipment to Iran have been arrested in Spain.

Reportedly, the equipment could be used to make missile parts or enrich uranium.

The four arrested in “Operation Terracotta” stand accused of attempting to export equipment to Iran. They face charges and possible prison sentences.

Currently, the EU and the United States have sanctions in place which ban the export of certain machinery and technology to Iran that could be used to aid the country’s military and nuclear programme.

Spanish officials have said that the four suspects were arrested on April 1. The Iranian man, 47, was detained in Palma de Mallorca and a judge ruled he be remanded in custody on April 3.

According to reports the man has been detained on suspicion of being in possession of contraband, belonging to a criminal organization and money laundering.

Allegedly, the three Spaniards, two men and a woman, come from the same family. They were arrested in Tarragona and Barcelona.

They too are facing charges, but have been released on the condition that they remain in Spain and report regularly to authorities.

The Guardia Civil investigation began last year when authorities noticed that two metal-forming "dual use" industrial machines had been illegally imported into Spain.

Upon further enquiry, they found that the three Spanish suspects were administrators of the import firm.

They also found computer data that is being analysed, along with technological information such as engineering plans, incriminating documents and large sums of cash.

They found that the machinery was acquired from a UK defence sector company and had been brought to Spain with the aim of secretly sending it to Iran.

The plan violated international sanctions against Iran for the development of its nuclear programme.

Tehran representatives and diplomats from the United States, France, Russia, China, the UK and Germany are meeting in Vienna this week to try to reach an agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme.