Czechs prosecute smugglers in absentia over MiG-21 shipments to North Korea

Published: 7/2/1999

On June 24th 1999, a police investigator confirmed that two men from the Liberec district are being prosecuted in absentia for illegal arms trading. The investigator refused to reveal their identity and would neither confirm nor refute reports that they are the Director and the Chairman of the board of the Liberec-based Agroplast company. The investigator said that international arrest warrants might be issued. The two suspects allegedly violated arms-trade regulations by trading disassembled MiG-21 fighter jets with a Kazakh company without a license from the Industry and Trade Ministry (www.concise.org 1/4/99). Customs officers discovered the disassembled MiGs at Baku airport in March 1999, and Azerbaijan returned the aircraft to Kazakhstan. The MiGs were being shipped to North Korea, which is subject to an international arms embargo.

Article ID: 641