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By Richard Owen, Rome
Source: The Times
March 4, 2010
Five Italians and two Iranians were arrested yesterday on suspicion of trafficking arms and explosives to Iran, in breach of an international embargo.
Police in Milan said that they were seeking two other suspected Iranian agents. The investigation was conducted with the help of British, Swiss and Romanian authorities, with the traffickers moving their goods through Britain, Dubai and Eastern Europe.
Police said that they had intercepted optical equipment, scuba-diving jackets and oxygen tanks, as well as tracer bullets, incendiary bombs and other “explosive materials”.
The investigation began in June when more than 200 telescopic sights were seized in Romania. Another 100 were seized at Heathrow. The investigation was led by Armando Spataro, the Milan prosecutor who investigated the 2003 kidnapping and “extraordinary rendition” by the CIA of Abu Omar, a Muslim cleric suspected of abetting terrorism.
One of the Italians arrested was a lawyer from Turin, Mr Spataro said. The other Italians were from Monza, Brescia and Cadeo in Piacenza, and Berne in Switzerland.
The two Iranians were named as Nejad Hamid Masoumi, 51, and Ali Damirchiloo, 55.
[...] interview the Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke about the arrest of Massouminejad in Italy, saying: “Published news regarding this arrest clearly shows a new game at hand which intends [...]