Posted on 06/18/2004 4:41:39 PM PDT by Clive
Windsor, Ont. - Three southern Ontario men and three businesses have been charged with illegally selling tires to Iraq as well as sending money into the country.
A two-year investigation by the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency led to more than 100 charges Friday under the Customs Act, United Nations Act and the United Nations Iraq Regulations, RCMP said Friday in a news release.
The charges are in relation to the export of automobile tires, automotive batteries and money to Iraq and the import of food and household goods to Canada from Iraq between March, 2000, and February, 2003.
The charges follow a two-year joint investigation by the RCMP and the Border Services agency into the activities of two food import/export businesses, one in Leamington, Ont., and one in Windsor, and a Waterloo-based tire company.
Investigators allege that the three men used their businesses to move hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tires into Iraq from Canada through Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Two of the men, the charges allege, possessed documentation that revealed they were transferring funds to Iraq in amounts that ranged from $100 US to $10,000 US.
Documents uncovered during searches of the three businesses also detailed the shipment of approximately 29,000 automobile tires - about $800,000 worth - from Canada to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, and then into Iraq by highway or coastal vessel, the RCMP allege.
Investigators say a container of automotive batteries valued at around $19,000 (U.S.) was purchased from South Korea and exported to Iraq.
The investigation also found one of the businesses was importing food and household products into Canada from Iraq.
Their country of origin was being misrepresented as either Syria, Turkey or Jordan, RCMP said.
Salah Abdul Sahib, 44, of Leamington, Ont., faces charges of exporting tires to Iraq, contrary to the United Nations Iraq Regulations; making a false statements under the Customs Act; and exporting tires and sending money to Iraq under the United Nations Act.
Munther Yacoub, 55, of Windsor is charged with exporting goods and sending money to Iraq under the United Nations Act and making false statements under the Customs Act.
Vincent Lewis, 56, of Waterloo, Ont., is charged with exporting tires to Iraq, contrary to the United Nations Iraq Regulations and making false statements under the Customs Act.
In addition to the men, three businesses also face various related charges: Leamington International Foods of Leamington, Salco Import and Export of Leamington and Treadway Exports of Kitchener, Ont.
The United Nations Act and its regulations impose sanctions and measures respecting trade with certain countries.
When the offences are alleged to have occurred, it was illegal to knowingly export any goods to Iraq and to send money to anyone in Iraq.
Food and household goods.
Hiding things in tires could be a smuggling technique.
Yes, they are probably smuggling in air,
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