Israeli national pleads guilty in US to smuggling aviation parts into Russia to bypass sanctions
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
In the US, a 49-year-old Israeli citizen, who owns an international shipping company, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally supply American aircraft parts to Russia. This included supplies to companies that were under US sanctions, according to the US Department of Justice.
Under the plea agreement, Gal Haimovich admitted that his scheme involved deceiving American companies about the true destination of the goods. To conceal the scheme, the defendant provided false information to the US government.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 22.
Haimovich owned an international shipping company that was a subsidiary of a group of companies operating in various countries, including the US and Israel. Through these companies, Haimovich acted as a forwarder for individuals and businesses attempting to illegally export goods to Russia, violating US export control laws.
From at least March 2022 to May 2023, Haimovich facilitated the export of aviation parts and avionics, including missile technology, from the US through the Southern District of Florida to various third-party shippers on behalf of Russian clients. These Russian end clients regularly instructed Haimovich to mislead American manufacturers and suppliers about the ultimate destination of the goods.
Organized over 160 shipments
For instance, from April 2022 to April 2023, after the US imposed additional export restrictions on Russia in response to the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Haimovich organized over 160 shipments to companies in the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates, which were responsible for illegally transferring goods to Russia. One such shipment, an air data module, took place in August 2022. Haimovich, who was hired by S7 Airlines to deliver an aircraft component to Russia, instructed a co-conspirator to falsely inform the American supplier that the part was ordered for the Maldives. In reality, Haimovich knew that the component was intended for Russia on behalf of S7 Airlines.
On August 23, the US expanded sanctions against Russia. The new package targets around 400 entities, including those involved in the Russian fuel, energy, and metallurgical sectors. The sanctions also affect the financial sector and dual-use goods for Russia's military-industrial complex, which are being supplied to Russia in evasion of sanctions.
