US charges 4 Chinese nationals with smuggling US-made electronics to Iran
- The components included some that could be used in the production of drones, ballistic missile systems, and for other military purposes
- The US has issued arrest warrants for Emily Liu, Stephen Yung Emma Lee and Sydney Chung, who all remain fugitives
US authorities have charged four Chinese nationals with crimes related to the smuggling of US-made electronic components, including some with possible military use, to Iran, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.
The Chinese nationals are accused of moving US export-controlled items through China and Hong Kong to sanctioned entities affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its defence ministry, the department said in a statement.
The accused were identified as Baoxia Liu, aka Emily Liu; Yiu Wa Yung, aka Stephen Yung; Yongxin Li, aka Emma Lee; and Yanlai Zhong, aka Sydney Chung.
The US alleges that between May 2007 and July 2020, the four used front companies in China to funnel electronics, including some that could be used in the production of drones, ballistic missile systems, and other military end uses.
The alleged scheme resulted in the export of a “vast amount” of dual-use US-origin commodities with military capabilities from the United States to Iran, the Justice Department said.
“Such efforts to unlawfully obtain US technology directly threaten our national security, and we will use every tool at our disposal to sever the illicit supply chains that fuel the Iranian regime’s malign activity,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s national security division said in the statement.
The US has issued arrest warrants for the accused, who all remain fugitives, according to the statement.