Iran Sanctions Bulletin 5: Director Convicted as New Nuclear Talks Resume

This is the fifth bulletin in our regular series on Iran sanctions which comes at a time when HMRC has convicted a Director of selling products to Iran and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has announced that a new round of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group will take place from 15th to 18th November.

In a recent case brought by HMRC (R v Bisgrove - HMRC prosecution at Southwark Crown Court) Phillip Bisgrove, the owner of NDT Mart, a company that exports non-destructive testing equipment, was questioned by HM Revenue and Customs investigators about his export activities between May 2007 and June 2008. During this period Bisgrove made 10 supplies of goods to Iran without the required authorisation. These goods required a licence, for which Bisgrove did not apply. HMRC officers searched Bisgrove's home taking emails, invoices and other documents as evidence that he had known all along that his deals were illegal. Emails revealed that he