Arms dealers in dock for illegal selling to Iraq

TWO arms dealers who sold £4 million of military body armour to the Middle East and Iraq were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court yesterday.

Glynn Jones (48), of Huddersfield Road, Newhey, Rochdale, was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail, suspended for two years.

He was also sentenced to 200 hours’ unpaid community work and ordered to pay £9,000 costs.

Jason Teal (40), of Igtenhill Park Lane, Burnley, was jailed for two years and was made subject of a £9,000 confiscation order and ordered to pay £30,000 costs.

Teal was the managing director of Armour Products International (API), a Bolton-based manufacturer and supplier of military protective clothing, until June, 2006.

Jones was operations manager until November, 2005, when he became technical director.

An investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) discovered both men sent hundreds of items of bullet-proof body armour and helmets to countries including Iraq and Kuwait to the value of £4 million.

The pair each admitted five counts of evading an export licence between April, 2003, and December, 2005.

Teal admitted a sixth count of evading an export licence and two more of breaching trade controls.

Judge Nicholas Loraine–Smith told the pair: “This investigation has revealed how you cut corners and flouted your company’s licensing obligations for commercial advantages.

“There was a risk that at least some of these goods would have been diverted to hostile hands.”