UK Authorities Charge Director at Center of Fake Plane Parts Probe

The former director of a firm at the center of a global investigation into bogus airplane parts was charged with fraud by UK authorities.

The Serious Fraud Office charged AOG Technics Ltd.’s director, Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, with fraudulent trading, according to a statement on Wednesday. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

From 2019 to 2023 the company is accused by the SFO of defrauding customers by falsifying documentation that related to the origin, status or condition of aircraft parts. The company’s customers included airlines, maintenance providers and parts suppliers, the agency said.

Airlines around the world were forced to temporarily take some planes out of service for inspection in 2023 after agencies in Europe and the US issued safety alerts to carriers that may have bought or installed AOG parts, according to the SFO.

“Planes were grounded, and significant disruption was caused, today’s charges are the outcome of a focused and fast paced investigation,” Nick Ephgrave, the director of the Serious Fraud Office, said. “I’m proud that we’ve acted swiftly, together with our Europeans partners, to bring this important case to charge in just 19 months.”

The SFO announced its investigation into AOG Technics in December 2023 and is working with Portugal’s Procuradoria-Geral da República. They are looking at the supply of suspected fraudulent safety certification and parts for planes, the SFO said. Last week authorities searched 10 locations across Portugal and made three arrests with SFO officers in attendance.

Zamora Yrala will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 2. He didn’t immediately respond to messages requesting comment.

Photograph: The SFO in London. Photo credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

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