Procurement: Irans Singapore Connection

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February 8, 2008: Singapore has arrested and indicted an American citizen, Laura Wang-Woodford, for illegally shipping CH-47 (Chinook) helicopter parts to Iran over the last sixteen years. Her husband, Brian Woodford (a British citizen) is being sought for questioning. Wang-Woodford ran a Singapore based company, Monarch Aviation, that bought aircraft parts in the United States for export to Singapore and elsewhere. Many of these parts were then smuggled to Iran, which pays far above market value for items that will keep its 1970s era American aircraft and helicopters flying. Wang-Woodford is also believed to be involved in smuggling Chinese made weapons to clients.