Two arms dealers who sold military body armour to entities in the middle east and Iraq have been sentenced at Southwark Crown Court, after an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
Jason Teal (40) from Burnley and Glynn Jones (48) from Rochdale sent hundreds of bullet-proof body armour and helmets to Iraq and Kuwait among other destinations.
Teal was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment and ordered to pay £30,000 towards the cost of the prosecution. A confiscation order in the amount £9,000 was also made.
Jones was sentenced to 50 weeks imprisonment suspended for 2 years on condition that he completes 200 hours unpaid work in the community. Jones was also ordered to pay £9,000 towards prosecution costs.
Teal and Jones were employees of a body armour supplier who knew it was against the law to export military-grade items to various destinations without authorisation from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
HMRC investigators obtained evidence from Teal and Jones’ computers which showed they knew they were breaking the law in order to secure orders to supply body armour for commercial gain.The value of these unlicensed supplies was in excess of $6,000,000.
Peter Millroy, Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation for HMRC, said: “Teal and Jones knew the law and were determined to circumvent it simply to make money. Export controls exist for a reason and HMRC will investigate and bring to justice anyone attempting to break the law .”
Elspeth Pringle, prosecutor for the CPS Central Fraud Group, said: “Export licences are a vital tool for ensuring that military equipment is not misused in conflict zones. Jason Teal and Glynn Jones knew this from their experience in the business, but they tried to deceive the authorities just so they could fulfil orders in time. They flouted the law for the sake of profit - this was both selfish and reckless. It is impossible to know where the armour they passed on to others to sell has ended up.
“The sentences today reflect the seriousness of knowingly and willingly ignoring the licensing regime. Mr Teal and Mr Jones knew the law and their responsibilities. This is the price for ignoring both.”
Teal and Jones both worked for Armour Products International (API), a Bolton based manufacturer and supplier of military protective clothing. Jason Teal was the Managing Director of API until June 2006. Glynn Jones was Operations Manager until November 2005, when he became Technical Director.
The deals took place between 2003 and 2005.
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