Fraud investigators have arrested a British businessman involved in an investigation into suspicious aircraft parts after searching his home.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the National Crime Agency have arrested a man linked to UK-based AOG Technics Ltd, which supplies aircraft parts, some of which are safety critical, to major UK airlines. delivers to the rest of the world. .
The SFO said the raid was part of a new criminal investigation into the company, which is already being investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority. SFO investigators said they seized the materials and continued interrogating the arrested person.
AOG has supplied parts for the world’s best-selling passenger aircraft engine, the CF56, used on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, as well as parts for the CF6 engine, used on cargo aircraft around the world.
Portuguese airline TAP was the first to raise the alarm earlier this year. They discovered that some engine parts showed significant signs of wear, even though AOG had provided them with documentation proving they were new.
The discovery led to regulators issuing international safety warnings and more parts being found on planes from other airlines, including Ryanair, Delta, American Airlines and Southwestern.
The SFO said it is working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority and other regulators to examine the information received as part of its criminal investigation into the alleged fraud and determine whether there are grounds for prosecution.
It is the third new investigation launched since Nick Ephgrave became director of Britain’s anti-fraud agency in September.
Mr Ephgrave, a former senior Scotland Yard official, said: “This investigation is looking at very serious allegations of fraud in the supply of aircraft parts, the consequences of which could potentially be far-reaching.”
“The SFO is best placed to vigorously pursue this investigation and we are committed to finding out the facts as quickly as possible.”
Engine maker CFM International said more than half of 145 engines believed to contain the wrong parts from a UK dealer had been recalled.
CFM Aviation, the US original engine manufacturer, won a Supreme Court ruling against AOG in London requiring the company to disclose which companies it supplied parts to. CFM said it carried out a “comprehensive” review of the documentation provided by AOG Technics and reported the findings to the relevant authorities.
180 counterfeit documents were identified, including 124 part numbers. She emphasized that the affected aircraft was grounded and parts were replaced. It says these engines make up less than 1 percent of the 22,600-cfm engines in use.
AOG has been contacted for comment.
Source: I News
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