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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Italy makes arrests for Iran arms trafficking |
| 2010-03-04 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Italian police arrested seven people on Wednesday on suspicion of trafficking arms to Iran, two Iranians they believe are secret agents and five Italians. Two more Iranians were being sought, police said. Police made the arrests overnight in several cities. They initially said nine people had been held but later said two arrest warrants for Iranians had not yet been served. One of those arrested was an Iranian journalist accredited with Rome's foreign press club. All four Iranians, including the two who remain at large, "are believed to be members of the Iranian secret services," police said in a statement. The operation scuppered plans to export to Iran a large quantity of tracer bullets, explosives from eastern Europe and explosive material to make incendiary bombs, police said. It began in June and uncovered a ring that exports weapons to Iran from Italy and via third countries. Police said they had worked with authorities in Britain, Switzerland and Romania and had interrupted the supply of German-produced optical gear and special jackets made for military use. Among the Italians arrested was a lawyer from northern Turin who runs an arms import-export company and another who is normally resident in Switzerland. Italy is one of Iran's main trading partners in Europe but Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's close ties with Israel and diplomatic pressure over the nuclear dispute with Tehran have led to a sharp reduction in Italian investments in Iran. Iran is subject to an international arms embargo and Berlusconi has said on several occasions that trade sanctions against Tehran ought to be toughened up. |
| Posted by:Fred |