Iran’s Hossein Hatefi Ardakani, China’s Lin Jinghe accused of illegally buying, exporting US-made dual-use microelectronics to Iran

Hossein Hatefi Ardakani, 38, of Iran has several aliases including Seata Murugiah. Lin Jing He, 41, of China also has several aliases including Gary Lam and Ken Ng.

Born in Ardakan, Yazd, Iran, Ardakani serves as the chairman of the board of directors for Kavan Electronics Behrad Limited Company, also known as Kavan Electronics, in Iran. Under his leadership, the company has acquired and sold servomotors and other unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-applicable items to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization (ASF SSJO).

Also based in Iran, Saman Industrial Group (SIG) has directly contracted with Kavan Electronics to acquire servomotors on IRCG ASF SSJO’s behalf. SIG serves as a commercial front company for the IRCG ASF SSJO.

#BREAKING The @USTreasury on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 10 entities and four individuals based in Iran, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia supporting Iran’s drone production.
This network, led by Iran-based Hossein Hatefi Ardakani, has facilitated the procurement of US- and… pic.twitter.com/LFTwOtZAdf

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) December 19, 2023

Arkadani allegedly led a network of four individuals and 10 entities, which facilitated Iran’s procurement of sensitive goods. He directly contracts with IRCG ASF SSJO using his Iran-based firms and coordinates defense procurements through front companies in Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong, China.

Between June 2015 and September 2015, Arkadani and Lin allegedly conspired to illegally purchase and export from the United States to Iran dual-use microelectronics commonly used in UAV production, including high electron mobility transistors, monolithic microwave integrated circuit power amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters. They allegedly caused an unwitting French company to buy several pieces of analog-to-digital converters from a U.S. company.

On October 18, 2023, Lin was designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for his support to an Iran-based procurement agent working on behalf of Saberin Kish Company, which is owned by the IRGC. On December 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging him and Ardakani with crimes related to the procurement of U.S.-manufactured dual-use microelectronics for IRGC ASF SSJO’s one-way attack UAV program.

Ardakani and Lam were charged with conspiracy to export U.S. goods to Iran and to defraud the U.S., unlawfully exporting and attempting to export goods to Iran and conspiracy to engage in international money laundering. They remain at large and are believed to reside outside the U.S.