Info:
Seyed Abood Sari landed at Vancouver airport on Jan. 17, 2019, and told border agents he was visiting his sons, but he was flagged and detained.
At a hearing four days later, a Canadian official disclosed that Sari was under investigation for his alleged role in an Iranian airline under sanction “for providing service to terrorist organizations.”
Mahan Air was sanctioned a decade ago for allegedly transporting weapons and personnel for the Quds Force branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
Under questioning in Vancouver, Sari told Canadian officials he knew about the sanctions but “needed the money” and “did not care what they were doing,” the Canadian official alleged at his detention hearing.
After verifying that Sari was wanted by the FBI, the RCMP arrested him on U.S. charges, alleging he was a “principal player” in front companies that helped Mahan Air evade sanctions.
“In particular, Mr. Sari is sought for extradition on the basis that he made misrepresentations to U.S. financial institutions to cause them to unwittingly conduct international U.S. dollar transfers on behalf of Mahan Air,” according to the B.C. Supreme Court.
His extradition hearing is scheduled to begin in B.C. Supreme Court on April 14.
The case, which has escaped public attention until now, is one of several before Canada’s courts that involve allegations of evading sanctions on the Iranian regime.
“Mr. Sari is being afforded a fair process before the British Columbia Supreme Court in accordance with extradition law and our treaty with the United States,” Department of Justice spokesperson Ian McLeod said.
Industry:
Aviation Industry
Country:
United Arab Emirates
Reason for the color:
» Dubai man arrested in Vancouver for allegedly helping terror-linked Iranian airline evade sanctions;