British firms caught sanctions-busting with Iran doubles in three years – Sanction-busting by British firms which trade with Iran has more than doubled in three years, official figures show. So far this financial year 84 British companies have been found to have breached the strict sanctions regime which controls how firms can do business with Iran.

This compares with

• just 40 cases in 2008/9, and
• 64 07/08 and
• 65 06/07
  • according to official figures from HM Revenue and Customs.

Treasury minister David Gauke told MPs in the House of Commons that the increase in breaches was “attributable to the increase in scope” of goods covered by the sanctions.

Mr Gauke said “more than 95 per cent of the breaches” were detected at the British border.

He added: “HM Revenue and Customs or Border Force officers successfully intercepted the goods and prevented them from reaching Iran.”

These instances were counted as breaches because the sale of controlled goods was restricted under the sanctions regime.

Tensions between Iran and the West have heightened in recent weeks, as fears have mounted that Tehran is pressing ahead with a nuclear weapons programme.

On Monday, Foreign Secretary William Hague had a working lunch with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, who is on a two-day official visit to the UK where the pair discussed the growing threat from Iran.

After the meeting Mr Hague said: “We both recognise the seriousness of the threat posed by the Iranian nuclear programme and agree on the urgent need for Iran to co-operate fully with the IAEA.”

Last week theSociety for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, a Brussels–based co–operative known as Swift, said it was expelling as many as 30 Iranian financial institutions, including the country’s central bank, from its secure network.

The move further isolated Iran from the world economy by closing down the targeted institutions’ ability to conduct international business.

It came after the European Union confirmed it was banning all forms of financial transactions with blacklisted Iranian firms.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9154096/British-firms-caught-sanctions-busting-with-Iran-doubles-in-three-years.html