BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: POST-SHIPMENT END-USE CHECK

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001037 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR, BALLARD DEPT FOR EUR/SCE - BALIAN DHAKA FOR WILBUR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KOMC ETTC BG HR EXPORT CONTROL SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: POST-SHIPMENT END-USE CHECK ON LICENSE 05-975932 REF: A. STATE 150149 ¶B. ZAGREB 823 ¶1. (SBU) PolOff discussed ref A sale of AN/PRC 77 radio parts to Bangladesh MOD with Drago Pensa, head of Tradel D.O.O., on November 26. Pensa reported that Tradel serves as sales agent for ECOM Technologies of Cincinnati, OH, for certain countries where Tradel has historically done business, including Bangladesh. ¶2. (SBU) According to Pensa, this shipment went directly from ECOM to the Bangladesh MOD, as is ECOM's standard practice when Tradel brokers sales for it -- they do not accept transactions that involve transshipment. Pensa knew of no other end user. He did not offer an exact date of the transaction, but said it took place in 2006 and involved the quantities of parts cited on license 05-975932. Tradel secured the deal in a tender issued by "BDGB," which Pensa described as the purchasing arm of Bangladesh's MOD. Pensa reported that Tradel has two other tender offers pending decision by the MOD in Bangladesh, both also involving radio parts. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: Post completed a pre-license check in September 2007 on a Tradel-brokered sale of similar items to the Ethiopian MOD (ref B). Pensa developed extensive contacts in the "non-aligned" world working in communications for the Yugoslavian MOD in the 1970s and 80s. Those contacts appear to be the core of his one-man Tradel operation. END COMMENT. BRADTKE