Japan police arrest three over Iran sanctions

TOKYO: Japanese police said yesterday they have arrested three employees of a Tokyo shipping agency accused of breaching economic sanctions imposed against Iran over its nuclear program.
The trio took part in illegally transferring fees totaling 14 million yen ($158,000) to a firm linked to Iran’s Hafiz Darya Shipping Lines (HDSL) last year and in 2011, authorities said.
The money was payment for transporting unspecified goods, Kyodo news agency reported, adding that it was the first such criminal case in Japan since its sanctions took effect in 2010.
The employees of Tokyo-based Ben Line Agencies (Japan), including a 64-year-old company director, allegedly broke a law that bans cross-border payments to Iranian-linked entities without official approval.
“They made the payments to HDSL without approval from the economy and trade minister,” a Tokyo police spokeswoman said.
The firm is reportedly an affiliate of state-run Iran Shipping Lines, which is suspected of transporting materials used in Iran’s nuclear program.
According to media reports, the Japanese group admitted transferring the money but said it was unaware it was breaking the law.
Tehran, which is under several sets of international sanctions, insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.