A Chinese's illegal export of nuclear devices to Iran is now put into halt after the authorities caught the exporter. The devices are discovered to be materials for making nuclear weapons-grade uranium. The Chinese national identified as Sihai Cheng may face a 15-year sentence term.
Cheng pleaded guilty after he admitted to smuggling goods from the U.S. to Iran. He also confessed on unlawfully exporting U.S.-manufactured pressure transducers to Iran. All of these are export violations, according to ABC News. Cheng is due to appear in the U.S. District court on Wednesday for his sentencing hearing. The Chinese's lawyer claimed that they will appeal to the court that his jail term for two years were already enough for his case of illegal export of nuclear devices.
His defense lawyer claimed that his client is a "low-hanging fruit" as Cheng will be jailed while the Iranian who planned all the illegal transactions remains free. "Mr. Cheng continues to be caught in the middle between Iran and the United States and China," Cheng's lawyer, Stephen Weymouth, said. "The United States government is and has been treating Sihai Cheng unfairly, especially when viewed in the context of how the United States government has been treating other individuals who were either involved in this activity or have been involved in similar conduct."
Boston Globe reports that Weymouth is blaming Iranian national, Seyed Abolfazl Shahab Jamili as the true culprit for the illegal export of nuclear devices. The lawyer pointed out that Jamili is the mastermind of all the criminal activities. In 2013, Cheng, Jamili and two Iran-based companies were charged of illegal export of nuclear devices to Iran. It is said that the two companies helped supply the devices to Kalaye Electric company that supports Iran in its nuclear program.
Yahoo says that Cheng was arrested in London in Feb.2014. He arranged companies in China to process illegal export of nuclear devices from MIKS Instruments Inc. based in Andover, Massachusetts, a Shanghai auxiliary. MIKS is reportedly sending the devices to China without the information that these are going to be transferred to Iran.
Cheng will be facing his sentence trial on Wednesday and if there will be no changes, he will be given a 15-year-sentencing for illegal export of nuclear devices to Iran.
