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China-Japan-Koreas
NZ link to Iran arms sale alleged
2010-01-11
From January 8th.
US AUTHORITIES plan to indict a New Zealand company allegedly involved in selling North Korean arms to Iran, sources linked to the investigation say. They are trying to track down shadowy figures using a labyrinth of thousands of Auckland companies registered to an office on Queen Street, Auckland's main street.

International organisations fear New Zealand's casual company registration system makes laundering money and financing terrorism easy.

Most of the companies in question were set up by the Vanuatu-based GT Group, controlled by the New Zealand accountant Geoffrey Taylor and sons, Ian and Michael. None have obvious purpose, and none of their directors can be traced. It is not suggested that the Taylors had any knowledge of the subsequent operations of the companies they set up.

"Indictments are coming and they will be big," a source said.
All sorts of things we could indict them for, too; arm-trading, money-laundering, deceptive practices, violating sanctions ...
New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office, police and Reserve Bank are also investigating but, in an embarrassment to the country's authorities, the US Justice Department is preparing indictments a week before the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, visits New Zealand.

The issue surfaced when one of GT's creations, SP Trading, chartered a Georgia-registered cargo plane that was seized by Thai police on December 12. It was carrying 35 tonnes of explosives and anti-aircraft missiles from North Korea bound, sources say, for Iran.

Sources say international inquiries suggest SP was set up as a "one-time use" company solely to charter the plane; that Iran used SP to pay North Korea; and that SP's New Zealand address allowed it to use a prominent US bank, unaware of the true purpose, to launder the money to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

GT Group will only say SP was set up "at the request of one of our professional clients based in the United Kingdom". Sources say the client is the target of US interest.

If the Taylors do not reveal the identity of the people they sold SP's registration to, they are liable to indictment.

A US Justice Department spokesman in Manhattan yesterday would not confirm the department's interest, other than to say it was aware of the issue and a statement would be made later.
Posted by:Steve White

#5  Finally a real job for Hillary, she gets to play process server.
Posted by: notascrename   2010-01-11 08:55  

#4  The issue surfaced when one of GT's creations, SP Trading

SPlodeydope Trading?
Posted by: Solomon Glulet1502   2010-01-11 06:50  

#3  Seems it may be Viktor Bout up to his old tricks.
Posted by: tipper   2010-01-11 03:31  

#2  More details.
Posted by: tipper   2010-01-11 03:14  

#1  If the Taylors do not reveal the identity of the people they sold SP's registration to, they are liable to indictment.


Idiot, they will have used false names anyway.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2010-01-11 00:24  

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