Eight held in US over 'Russian hi-tech smuggling plot'

[Gerald]

Eight people have been arrested in Houston, Texas, on charges of illegally exporting hi-tech components to Russian security bodies.

Alexander Fishenko, who owns companies in Texas and Moscow, was charged with operating in the US as an unregistered agent of the Russian government.

The indictment names 11 suspects, all of whom are due in court in Houston except for three who are in Russia.

There was no immediate comment on the charges from those detained.

However, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman, Sergei Ryabkov, quoted US officials as saying the charges were "of a criminal nature".

They bore "no relation whatsoever to any intelligence-gathering activities", he told Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency.

Mr Fishenko, 46, a naturalised US citizen and owner of Houston-based company Arc Electronics Inc, was also charged with laundering money.

The US keeps strict controls on the export of cutting-edge microelectronics, which could be used in radar and surveillance systems, weapons guidance systems and detonation triggers.

A Houston FBI statement names six men and five women as suspects, ranging in age from 31 to 58.

Under US sentencing guidelines, Mr Fishenko faces more than 12 years in prison if convicted on all of the charges.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19826851


Note: 4 October 2012 Last updated at 10:46 GMT

[eddie]

Glad they caught them!:up:

[Gerald]

Maybe it was "on time", like this operation always takes time to unravel, much to work so they here the law is made, become as efficient as possible and waterproof.

[Gerald]

Russian Agent and 10 Other Members of Procurement Network for Russian Military and Intelligence Operating in the U.S. and Russia Indicted in New York.

http://www.fbi.gov/houston/press-releases/2012/russian-agent-and-10-other-members-of-procurement-network-for-russian-military-and-intelligence-operating-in-the-u.s.-and-russia-indicted-in-new-york

[geetrue]

This is bigger than it looks ... like the border wars say they only catch 10% of the illegals crossing.

I wonder what it is on spies???

Right there in Neal's back yard too :o

[Gerald]

^Do you think we can get a statement by Neal, :hmmm:

[Herr-Berbunch]

Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Rather than knee-jerk 'hang them'. :sunny:

[Catfish]

Maybe it is more about 'normal crime' than working as russian agents, we will see.


On the other hand:
" [...] The US keeps strict controls on the export of cutting-edge microelectronics, which could be used in radar and surveillance systems, weapons guidance systems and detonation triggers [...]"

I thought most of this stuff is meanwhile produced in China, and sent to the US ? :D

http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/28/1454222/backdoor-found-in-china-made-us-military-chip

http://www.businessinsider.com/navy-chinese-microchips-weapons-could-have-been-shut-off-2011-6

Although a lot of chips used in the US military is indeed produced in China, i guess the "disarming" capabality is nonsense, apart of rendering the devices itself useless because of sheer failing of some of the chinese chips.

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

[Gerald]

Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Rather than knee-jerk 'hang them'. :sunny:At all times, :yep:

[Jimbuna]

This is bigger than it looks ... like the border wars say they only catch 10% of the illegals crossing.

I wonder what it is on spies???

Right there in Neal's back yard too :o

Anyone seen or heard from Neal lately? :hmm2:

:O:

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

:hmmm: Nice. China and Russia get American technology as they use "creative" methods to obtain it. At same time U.S. ally Canada has troubles in obtaining it legally because of ITAR rules.

As consequence the Royal Canadian Navy is updating its vessels with as much ITAR-free equipment as possible.