Illicit Trade: Reports

2024

Russian Decoy Drones that Depend on Western Parts Pose a Great Challenge to Ukrainian Defenses
Igor Anokhin and Spencer Faragasso December 18, 2024

Action from Semiconductor Companies is Long Overdue
David Albright and Spencer Faragasso September 23, 2024

Chinese Export of Restricted High Priority Battlefield Items to Russia
Spencer Faragasso September 23, 2024

Unsealed Indictment Shows Iranian Agents Acquired Controlled Camera with Nuclear Weapons Application from United States
Sarah Burkhard, Chloe DeVere, and Kendall Roach1 August 26, 2024

Case Study on smuggling sensitive U.S.-origin items through Chinese front companies to Iranian military entities
Victoria Cheng August 12, 2024

Russian Company Drake LLC’s Procurements for JSC Alabuga’s Military Drone Projects - JSC Alabuga’s Weaponization of Commercial Drones for Military Use in Ukraine
David Albright and Spencer Faragasso July 15, 2024

Russian Company Elmak Procures “High Priority” Items for Russia’s War Efforts via China
David Albright and Spencer Faragasso July 11, 2024

Iran/Russia Military Technology Axis: Russia Showcases to Iran New and Advanced Military Technology
David Albright and Spencer Faragasso June 25, 2024

Alabuga’s Greatly Expanded Production Rate of Shahed 136 Drones
David Albright, Dr. Igor Anokhin,[1] Sarah Burkhard, Victoria Cheng, and Spencer Faragasso May 10, 2024

Alabuga’s Shahed 136 (Geran 2) Warheads: A Dangerous Escalation
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Spencer Faragasso May 9, 2024

2023

Satellite Imagery Update on Alabuga Shahed-136 Drone Factory - No snow day for Russia's drone production!
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Victoria Cheng [1] December 20, 2023

Russian Lancet-3 Kamikaze Drone Filled with Foreign Parts: Western Parts Enable Russian Lancet-3 Drone to Have Advanced Targeting and Anti-jamming Capabilities
Spencer Faragasso December 18, 2023

Electronics in the Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drone
David Albright and Sarah Burkhard November 14, 2023

Visible Progress at Russia’s Shahed Drone Production Site Satellite Imagery Update and Call for Action
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and the Good ISIS team November 13, 2023

A Strategic Challenge: A Peddling Peril Index Analysis of Countries’ Restricted Russia Trade
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Spencer Faragasso July 10, 2023

2022

Procurement Data and Safeguards: Looking Historically and to the Future
David Albright November 21, 2022

Russian Military UAV Used in Ukraine Depends on Foreign Parts
Spencer Faragasso May 11, 2022

Responsible Statecraft Correlates with UN Vote on Russian Invasion of Ukraine : An Application of the 2021 Peddling Peril Index
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Spencer Faragasso March 21, 2022

2021

Iranian Illicit Procurement Scheme to Acquire Controlled Spectrometry Systems Busted
Spencer Faragasso and Sarah Burkhard September 16, 2021

2019

Peddling Peril Index (PPI) for 2019
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Andrea Stricker May 23, 2019

2018

Case Study: Fake Defense Contractor Indicted for Exporting Military Related Drawings to Turkey
Hanah Joudi and Andrea Stricker September 25, 2018

On the Question of Another North Korean Centrifuge Plant and the Suspect Kangsong Plant
David Albright May 25, 2018

Correlating a Country’s Economic Output with its Level of Export Controls
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, Bridget Leahy, and Andrea Stricker April 23, 2018

Chongsu Nuclear-Grade Graphite Production Plant? North Korea may be proliferating controlled nuclear goods
David Albright April 20, 2018

Case Study: Two Plead Guilty in Pakistan Illicit Procurement Case
Bridget Leahy and Andrea Stricker March 26, 2018

Iran Nuclear Deal Procurement Channel Update: Is it being bypassed?
David Albright and Andrea Stricker March 26, 2018

Sudan/Russian Nuclear Power Cooperation Poses Proliferation Risks
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, Bridget Leahy, and Andrea Stricker March 13, 2018

52 Countries Involved in Violating UNSC Resolutions on North Korea throughout most of 2017
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, and Andrea Stricker March 9, 2018

Peddling Peril Index (PPI) for 2017
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, and Andrea Stricker January 31, 2018

2017

Countries Involved in Violating UNSC Resolutions on North Korea
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, and Andrea Stricker December 5, 2017

Most Nuclear Ban Treaty Proponents are Lagging in Implementing Sound Export Control Legislation
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Allison Lach, and Andrea Stricker September 27, 2017

Transfer of Firearms on U.S. Control Lists Raises Proliferation, Terrorism Concerns
Andrea Stricker and David Albright September 25, 2017

Strengthening the Counter-Illicit Nuclear Trade Regime in the Face of New Threats: A Two-Year Review of Proliferation Threats Associated with the Middle East
David Albright, Andrea Stricker, Sarah Burkhard, and Erica Wenig September 12, 2017

Case Study: United States Levies Civil Suits Against Chinese and Russian Entities for Helping North Korea Bust Financial and Nonproliferation Sanctions
Andrea Stricker September 7, 2017

Nuclear Infrastructure and Proliferation Risks of the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Egypt
Sarah Burkhard, Erica Wenig, David Albright, and Andrea Stricker August 25, 2017

Status of the Iran Nuclear Deal’s Procurement Channel
David Albright and Andrea Stricker August 16, 2017

Is Iran Mass Producing Advanced Gas Centrifuge Components? Can we even know with the way the Iran deal has been structured and implemented so far?
David Albright and Olli Heinonen May 30, 2017

U.S. Export Control Reform: Impacts and Implications for Controlling the Export of Proliferation-Sensitive Goods and Technologies, A Policy Document for the New President and Congress
Andrea Stricker with David Albright May 17, 2017

Case Study: U.S. Man Indicted in Larger Iranian Financial Sanctions Busting Scheme
Andrea Stricker May 3, 2017

Shenyang Machine Tools Company
David Albright April 13, 2017

Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear Ambitions and Proliferation Risks
Sarah Burkhard, Erica Wenig, David Albright, and Andrea Stricker March 30, 2017

Case Study: Guilty Plea for Charge of Exporting Metallic Powder to Iran
Andrea Stricker March 23, 2017

2016

Heavy Water Loophole in the Iran Deal
David Albright and Andrea Stricker December 21, 2016

Case Study: Two Arrested in Iranian Aircraft Parts Trafficking Scheme, Result of U.S. Sting Operation
Andrea Stricker December 7, 2016

Case Study: Four Turkish Nationals Indicted for Making Illicit U.S. Financial Transactions
Andrea Stricker November 30, 2016

Previously Sanctioned Iranian Entities Doing Business in China
David Albright and Andrea Stricker July 7, 2016

Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Attempted Carbon Fiber Procurement
David Albright and Andrea Stricker July 7, 2016

U.S. Purchase of Iran’s Heavy Water: Encouraging a Dangerous Nuclear Supplier
David Albright and Andrea Stricker May 23, 2016

Case Study: Nuclear Traffickers Conspired to Procure High Speed Cameras
David Albright and Andrea Stricker May 19, 2016

The Iran Nuclear Deal’s Procurement Channel: Overcoming Post-Implementation Day Issues
David Albright and Andrea Stricker April 21, 2016

2015

JCPOA Procurement Channel: Architecture and Issues
David Albright and Andrea Stricker December 11, 2015 Power Point download

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
David Albright and Andrea Stricker September 28, 2015

Additional Taiwan-Based Element of Iranian Military Goods Procurement Network Exposed
David Albright, Andrea Stricker, Daniel Schnur, and Sarah Burkhard September 16, 2015

Preliminary Assessment of the JCPOA Procurement Channel
David Albright and Andrea Stricker August 31, 2015

Case Study: Skilled Procurement Ring Charged in Illegally Obtaining Goods for Iran
By Christopher Coughlin and Andrea Stricker May 5, 2015

Updates to ISIS Illicit Trade Case Studies
Christopher Coughlin and Andrea Stricker April 1, 2015

2014

Case Study: Iranian Illicit Financing for Quds Force’s Overseas Purchases
David Albright and Jack Dishner December 17, 2014

Stopping Iran’s Illicit Nuclear Procurement
Ian J. Stewart and Andrea Stricker December 12, 2014

Provisions to Limit Future Iranian Illicit Procurements for Its Nuclear Programs
David Albright and Olli Heinonen November 20, 2014

ISIS Note: Further Questions on Sanctioned North Korean Entity
David Albright and Andrea Stricker November 19, 2014

Iran Admits Illegally Acquiring Goods for its Nuclear Programs
David Albright, Daniel Schnur, and Andrea Stricker September 10, 2014

Advisory: United States Enforces Existing Sanctions against Key Iranian Company
David Albright and Andrea Stricker September 9, 2014

Case Study- Serial Proliferator Karl Li: China’s Continued Refusal to Act
David Albright, Andrea Stricker, and Donald Stewart May 8, 2014

Case Study: Chinese Citizen’s Involvement in the Supply of MKS Pressure Transducers to Iran Preventing a Reoccurrence
Ian J. Stewart, Andrea Stricker, and David Albright April 30, 2014

Case Study- Suspicious Advertisements for High Quality Maraging Steel The question of Electrovek Steel’s Farsi language web site
David Albright, Serena Kelleher-Vergantini, Donald Stewart, and Andrea Stricker April 28, 2014

Case Study- Canada Prosecutes Company for Possible Nuclear Related Export to Iran
David Albright and Andrea Stricker April 24, 2014

Case Study - Chinese National Sought High-Strength Carbon Fiber for China
Donald Stewart and Andrea Stricker March 5, 2014

Case Study - U.S. Busts Iranian Smuggling Scheme Involving a Nuclear-Related Good
David Albright and Andrea Stricker January 31, 2014

2013

Case Study - Getting to the Core: United States Charges Iranian with Missile Export Violations
Andrea Stricker November 4, 2013

Future World of Illicit Nuclear Trade: Mitigating the Threat
David Albright, Andrea Stricker, and Houston Wood October 1, 2013

Case Study - United States Busts Likely North Korean Transshipment Scheme
Andrea Stricker May 24, 2013

Ring Magnets for IR-1 Centrifuges
David Albright February 13, 2013

Case Study - Chinese Salesman Arrested in Pressure Transducer Case
David Albright and Andrea Stricker January 18, 2013

2012

Aiding the Physics Research Center’s Overseas Procurements: Role of Applied Science Co. and Akebono Boeki Co. November 15, 2012

Appendix: Applied Science Telexes November 15, 2012

United States Prosecutes U.S.-Based Smuggler Working for Iran
Andrea Stricker October 26, 2012

Closing the Tinners’ Swiss Criminal Case*
David Albright and Michael Rietz** October 26, 2012

British Bank Accused of Doing Massive Illegal Iran Business: Settles with New York Authorities
Andrea Stricker August 15, 2012

Major U.S. Sting Operation Arrests Iranian in Nuclear Smuggling Network
David Albright and Andrea Stricker August 10, 2012

Iranian Smuggling for Military Nuclear Programs: From Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group to the PHRC
David Albright and Paul Brannan May 16, 2012

Telexes: Front Company Kala Naft
David Albright and Paul Brannan May 16, 2012

Telexes: Amir Kabir University and Dr. Shahmoradi
David Albright May 16, 2012

The Telexes: Whole Body Counters and the Physics Research Center
David Albright and Paul Brannan May 16, 2012

Case Study - U.S. Company Charged with Pressure Transducer Sales: Who Were the End Users? May 14, 2012

Opening the Door to a Solution with Iran
David Albright and Olli Heinonen* May 9, 2012

Case of Three Tinners Set for Trial: Plea Deal Expected April 25, 2012

Department 70 and the Physics Research Center: Extensive Interest in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies
David Albright, Paul Brannan, Mark Gorwitz, and Andrew Ortendahl March 19, 2012

Appendix for Department 70 March 15, 2012

The Physics Research Center and Iran’s Parallel Military Nuclear Program
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Stricker February 23, 2012

PHRC telex appendix February 23, 2012

Pakistani Man Sentenced to Prison in U.S. Export Violation Case January 11, 2012

2011

Case Study - Chinese National Charged with Illegal U.S. Exports to Pakistani Nuclear Program
Andrea Stricker August 23, 2011

Case Study - IRISL and Affiliates Indicted on Financial Conspiracy Charges
Andrea Stricker July 8, 2011

European Court of Human Rights Rejects Tinners’ Appeal April 26, 2011

Case Study - Man Charged with Exporting U.S. Goods to Pakistan’s Nuclear Program
David Albright and Andrea Stricker April 14, 2011

Yadegari Appeal Denied by Canadian Court
Andrea Stricker April 14, 2011

Case Study - A Smuggler’s Use of the U.S. Financial System to Receive Illegal Payments from Iran Updated February 11, 2011
Andrea Stricker February 11, 2011

Case Study - United States Indicts Man behind Alleged Multi-Million Dollar Iranian Smuggling Network
Andrea Stricker February 11, 2011

State Department Cables:  United States Pressures China over Limmt, to No Avail February 3, 2011

2010

Swiss Judge Recommends Charges against the Tinners December 23, 2010

The Tinner Case: Time for a Frank, Open Evaluation
David Albright and Paul Brannan December 21, 2010

CIA Recruitment of the Three Tinners: A Preliminary Assessment
David Albright and Paul Brannan December 21, 2010

State Department Cables: Stopping Iran’s and North Korea’s Illicit Procurement for their Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs December 10, 2010

Chinese Firms Continue to Evade Iran Sanctions October 19, 2010

Comprehensive Piece on Iranian Military Equipment Smuggler and U.S. Sting Operation October 5, 2010

Case Study - Yadegari Sentenced to 20 Months Plus Time Served ; Worked for Procurement Ring that Supplied Iran’s Enrichment Program
Andrea Stricker August 2, 2010

Case Study - Update: New Charges for Irish Company Suspected of Military Exports to Iran
Andrea Stricker July 16, 2010

Case Study - U.S. Company Faces Penalties for Alleged Nuclear Export Attempts to India, Israel
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Stricker July 14, 2010

Man Suspected of Illicit Nuclear Trade to Iran Found Guilty July 6, 2010

Eli Lake’s New Report and the Inadvertent Conflation of Sources About the Notorious Tinner Family July 2, 2010

Was Kakavand’s Acquittal Part of a Quid Pro Quo with Iran? - Update II May 19, 2010

Update: U.S. Extradition Request Denied in France for Alleged Iranian Military Parts Smuggler May 12, 2010

Malaysia Finally Adopts National Export Controls
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Christina Walrond April 9, 2010

Detecting and Disrupting Illicit Nuclear Trade after A.Q. Khan (published in the Washington Quarterly Vol. 33)
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Scheel Stricker March 26, 2010

Pakistani Government Seeks to Investigate A.Q. Khan’s Activities March 22, 2010

The Price of Getting Documents from A.Q. Khan:  Carrying his Water
David Albright and Paul Brannan March 17, 2010

Washington Post article featuring ISIS’ book Peddling Peril March 10, 2010

Latest Collaboration Between ISIS and the Media on Illicit Trade March 1, 2010

French Court Delays Decision over Extradition of Majid Kakavand February 17, 2010

Busting the Members at the Core of Iran’s Smuggling Networks for Nuclear, Missile, and Conventional Military Goods*
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Scheel Stricker February 16, 2010

Case Study - Inventive U.S. Sting Operation Catches Iran-Based Military Equipment Smuggler
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel Stricker February 16, 2010

Case Study - Former Iranian Ambassador Arrested in UK for Alleged Iran-Directed Smuggling Scheme
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Scheel Stricker February 16, 2010

Case Study - Middleman Majid Kakavand Arrested for Malaysia-Based Iranian Illicit Procurement Scheme
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Scheel Stricker February 16, 2010

Case Study - Arrest Made in Germany of Core Iranian Procurement Agent
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Scheel Stricker February 16, 2010

2009

Self-Serving Leaks from the A.Q. Khan Circle
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Scheel Stricker December 9, 2009

Case Study - Update: Smuggler Previously Convicted of Aircraft Export Control Violations; Disguised Company as a Larger Operation
Andrea Scheel Stricker October 23, 2009

Case Study - Decision Reached on Vanaki Case: Landgericht Finds Defendant Guilty, Issues Suspended Sentence
David Albright and Christina Walrond October 23, 2009

Case Study - The Trials of the German-Iranian Trader Mohsen Vanaki: The German Federal Intelligence Service Assesses that Iran Likely Has a Nuclear Weapons Program
David Albright and Christina Walrond October 23, 2009

Case Study - Smugglers Assist North Korea-Directed Illicit Trade to Myanmar
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel July 14, 2009

Case Study - A Smuggler’s Procurement of Nuclear Dual-Use Pressure Transducers for Iran
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel July 14, 2009

Case Study - Iran’s Procurement of U.S. Military Aircraft Parts: Two case studies in illicit trade
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel May 21, 2009

Case Study - Profitable and Low-Penalty: Illicit Procurement of Items with Nuclear Applications for Pakistan
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel February 27, 2009

Case Study - Pakistan’s Illicit Procurement of Missile and Drone Equipment Using Multiple Financial Transaction
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel January 28, 2009

Case Study - An Inside Look: India’s Procurement of Tributyl Phosphate (TBP) for its Unsafeguarded Nuclear Program
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel January 28, 2009

Case Study - A Company’s Discretion Detects Large Iranian Valve Orders by Scrutinizing Items and End-Users Instead of Lists
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel January 28, 2009

Case Study - How Cooperation between a Company and Government Authorities Disrupted a Sophisticated Illicit Iranian Procurement
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel January 12, 2009

Case Study - Detecting the Barrage Approach to Illicit Procurement
David Albright, Paul Brannan and Andrea Scheel January 12, 2009

Case Study - Iranian Entities’ Illicit Military Procurement Networks
David Albright, Paul Brannan, and Andrea Scheel January 12, 2009

2008

Swiss Smugglers Had Advanced Nuclear Weapons Designs
David Albright June 16, 2008

2005

Multilateral Nuclear Export Controls After the A.Q. Khan Network
Jacob Blackford January 13, 2005

2004

Asher Karni Case Shows Weakness in Nuclear Export Controls
Jacob Blackford September 8, 2004

Libya’s Gas Centrifuge Procurement: Much Remains Undiscovered
David Albright and Corey Hinderstein March 1, 2004

Documents Indicate A.Q. Khan Offered Nuclear Weapon Designs to Iraq in 1990: Did He Approach Other Countries?
David Albright and Corey Hinderstein February 4, 2004

1993

Building a Corporate Nonproliferation Ethic
David Albright and Peter Gray June 1, 1993