US justice officials on Tuesday charged four Singaporeans and an Iranian with fraudulently exporting radio equipment to Iran for use in roadside bombs in Iraq. At least 16 radio antennas were found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq, the US Justice Department said in a statement, noting that the Iranian suspect in the case is still at large.
The indictment said thousands of antennas were meant to be exported from the United States to Iran, and in addition to the four Singaporeans, four companies from the Asian city state had been charged in the alleged plot. Admiral Mike Mullen, then the top US military officer, said in July that Iran was stepping up its support for Shiite militants in Iraq, supplying them with more sophisticated weapons that were being used against American forces.
"Yesterday, authorities in Singapore arrested Wong Yuh Lan (Wong), Lim Yong Nam (Nam), Lim Kow Seng (Seng), and Hia Soo Gan Benson (Hia), all citizens of Singapore, in connection with a US request for extradition," the justice department statement said.