11 charged with illegal U.S. exports to Syria

The U.S. Justice Department said Friday that 11 individuals and one foreign company have been charged by the Treasury Department for their role in illegally exporting goods to Syrian Arab Airlines.    The U.S. Justice Department said Friday that 11 individuals and one foreign company have been charged by the Treasury Department for their role in illegally exporting goods to Syrian Arab Airlines.
   The Syrian government-owned airline is an entity designated and blocked by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for transporting weapons and ammunition to Syria in conjunction with Hizballah, a terrorist organization, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
   Specifically, the defendants were charged for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations by exporting dual-use goods, or items with both civilian and military application.
   U.S. agents arrested Ali “Alex” Caby, a U.S. permanent resident currently residing in Bulgaria, and Arash “Axel” Caby and Marjan Caby, both of Miami, in the case. Also charged in the indictment were Adib Zeno, Rizk Ali, Ammar Al Mounajed, Zhelyaz Andreev, Mihaela Nenova, Lyubka Hristova, Iskren Georgiev, Ivan Sergiev, and Syrian Arab Airlines (Syrian Air).
   The court documents noted that Ali Caby operated the Bulgaria office of AW-Tronics, a Miami-based export company, which was managed by Arash Caby, and exported various aircraft parts and equipment to Syrian Arab Airlines. Marjan Caby, AW-Tronics’ export compliance officer and auditor, facilitated the exports by submitting false and misleading electronic export information to federal agencies.
   “All three defendants closely supervised and encouraged subordinate employees of AW-Tronics in the willful exportation of the parts and equipment to Syrian Arab Airlines, whose activities have assisted the Syrian government’s violent crackdown on its people,” the Justice Department said.