GERMAN AUTHORITIES ARREST MAN FOR EXPORTING WMD

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 003324 SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN, NEA, AND EUR/AGS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2016 TAGS: ETTC KCRM KNNP PARM PREL IR GM SZ SUBJECT: GERMAN AUTHORITIES ARREST MAN FOR EXPORTING WMD PRECURSORS TO IRAN REF: A. FBIS/OSC EUP20061112036006 ¶B. FBIS/OSC EUP20061107085001 Classified By: By Counselor for Economic Affairs Douglas B. Neumann, fo r reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On November 13, the Federal Office of Criminal Investigation (BKA) headquartered in Meckenheim provided Legatt Berlin with a summary of arrests made November 6 in connection with illegal shipments of WMD-related items to Iran. According to the summary, the Federal Office of Customs Investigations (ZKA) stopped an unlicensed shipment being sent via a transportation company in Karlsfeld, Bavaria, to an Iranian company associated with Iran's military programs. German federal authorities searched six sites in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Bavaria; seized documents, data storage devices, PCs, and laptop computers; and arrested a male German citizen of Iranian origin in the Dusseldorf area as well as two employees of the transportation company in Karlsfeld. German authorities believe the Iranian-German is the main suspect and an agent for Iranian intelligence tasked with procurement for Iran's biological and chemical warfare programs. According to the summary, supplied by the BKA, the suspect used an alias for a P.O. box in Switzerland to purchase goods made in Germany and other European countries. ¶2. (C) Global Affairs officer met German MFA Export Control Division Desk Officer Andreas Kauke November 14 to discuss the case. Press accounts report the main suspect's name is "Sahed E." Kauke said the investigation continues and that German authorities are working with their Swiss counterparts, since the main suspect ordered the dual-use items and missile-related parts via a Swiss address. Kauke said the Iranian-German did not ship anything to Iran in the several months that the federal authorities had him under surveillance. If he had tried to ship something, Kauke continued, the authorities would have immediately been able to arrest him. ¶3. (SBU) NRW police informed Consulate Dusseldorf that the main suspect had shipped the controlled goods, including centrifuges, precursor chemicals, and specialized engineering tools, to Iran via land routes since December 2005. The BKA in Meckenheim and the ZKA in Stuttgart are co-leading the investigation. ¶4. (U) Post will continue to monitor this case and report substantive developments as warranted. ¶5. (U) This message incorporates material provided by Legatt Berlin and Consulate General Dusseldorf. TIMKEN JR