Iranian shipping line charged for using U.S. banks to support terrorists

http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/iranian-shipping-line-charged-for-using-us-banks-to-support-terro ^

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The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) was charged in the United States on Monday in a 317-count indictment for providing support to terrorists and proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, prosecutors said.

IRISL, one of the world`s largest shipping companies, its regional offices, and its agents were indicted for their roles in a conspiracy that illegally used financial institutions in Manhattan and evaded U.S. economic sanctions on foreign countries. "Today our office is shining a spotlight on the fraudulent activities of IRISL, which has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations for its role in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.

According to the 317-count indictment, the 11 corporations and five individuals allegedly falsified the records of banks located in New York County to access illegally the U.S. financial system on repeated occasions. Furthermore, the defendants deceived Manhattan banks into processing more than $60 million worth of payments using aliases or corporate alter egos to hide their illegal activities. "For sanctions to be effective, they must be enforced.