MUMBAI (Times of India): A 55-year-old Indian national, wanted by the US for defrauding its government, was detained at the city airport on Friday after she landed from Iran. She allegedly illegally bought commercial and military aircraft parts from America and exported them to United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Shahin Sabooni was detained by the Mumbai police’s immigration cell after her name flashed onthe Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued by the US through Interpol in 2009. Sabooni was produced before a holiday court on Saturday and remanded in judicial custody till next week. senior inspector of extradition cell Shalini Sharma told the court that the designated extradition court in Patiala had been informed.
Sabooni is second person to be detained by the Indian authorities on the US’s RCN request. In 2012, Navi Mumbai resident Nikhil Koblekar who was wanted by the FBI was arrested here on the charges of hacking and password trafficking in the US. Koblekar is yet to be extradited to the US.
“Sabooni has been detained under the extradition treaty between India and the US. We will soon start the process of extraditing her to the US,” said joint commissioner Himanshu Roy. The US government has also accused Sabooni of money laundering. The police said Sabooni has two passports—on issued by the US and other by Iran.
A company owned by her brother in UAE is under the scanner for alleged export of aircraft parts from the US to Dubai and Tehran in Iran.
The firm has allegedly exported these parts by evading probation and licensing requirments.
