$15 million reward offered for the arrests of those smuggling U.S. drone technology to IRAN
On March 19, the U.S Department of State, the U.S. Government’s department responsible for U.S. foreign policy and relations, announced the creation of a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of Liu Baoxia, aka Emily Liu, and three of her cohorts accused of smuggling U.S. technology to Iran.
The State Department wants to significantly disrupt the financial mechanisms of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its various branches, including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) which are designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
The IRGC has financed numerous terrorist attacks and activities globally, including via its external proxies such as Hamas, Hizballah, and Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq. The IRGC funds its terrorist activities — in part — through sales of military equipment, including UAVs, or drones.
According to the State Department, the Chinese nationals indicated below have allegedly supported IRGC armaments production and sales through illegal procurement and delivery to Iran of U.S. export-controlled dual-use technology:
- Liu Baoxia (刘保霞, traditional characters: 劉保霞; aka Emily Liu)
- Li Yongxin (李永欣, aka Emma Lee)
- Yung Yiu Wa (耀華 容, aka Stephen Yung)
- Zhong Yanlai (鐘硯來, aka Sydney Chung)
Beginning as early as May 2007, Liu and her associates allegedly utilized an array of front companies in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to send dual-use U.S.-origin electronic components to IRGC-linked companies that could be used in the production of UAVs, ballistic missile systems, and other military end uses. The IRGC and its supporters generate and move millions of dollars around the world by establishing and relying on front companies to procure cutting-edge technology to evade sanctions and trade controls.
The individuals named above allegedly misrepresented the end users of dual-use U.S.-origin electronic components, leading U.S. companies to export goods to PRC-based front companies under the guise that the ultimate destination of these products was China rather than Iran. As a result, a vast amount of dual-use U.S.-origin products with military capabilities have been exported from the United States to IRGC-linked companies Shiraz Electronics Industries (SEI), Rayan Roshd Afzar, and their affiliates, in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws and regulations.
The IRGC and the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), which supervises Iran’s development and production of military armaments, have utilized the U.S.-controlled technology to develop and manufacture arms and weapons systems, including UAVs, that are sold to governments and groups in allied countries such as Russia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In January 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Liu, Li, Yung, and Chung with various federal crimes related to their involvement in a conspiracy to unlawfully export and smuggle thousands of U.S.-origin electronic components with military applications from the United States to Iran.
Anyone with information on Liu, Li, Yung, Zhong, or associated individuals, entities, or their activities should contact Rewards for Justice via the anonymous Tor-based tips-reporting channel at: he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required). All information will be kept strictly confidential.
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(Source and images: U.S. Department of State)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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