Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The Azerbaijani embassy in the United States on behalf of the Foreign Ministry will have to provide appropriate legal and consular assistance to an Azerbaijani citizen charged with illegal export operations by US law enforcement authorities, the Foreign Ministry spokesman told Trend news agency on Sunday.

Elman Abdullayev noted that the US law-enforcement bodies told the Azerbaijani embassy that Sevinj Taghiyeva, 32, is being held under arrest in Houston together with several others facing similar charges.

Taghiyeva has been detained for illegal export of microelectronics from the U.S., Abdullayev added.

According to Abdullayev, the U.S. law enforcement bodies immediately notified the Azerbaijani embassy after Tagiyeva's detention.

The embassy is scrutinizing the purpose of Tagiyeva's stay in the U.S.

The embassy employees have not been able to meet with her yet.

Russian media reports said one more Azerbaijani citizen, Shovkat Abdullayev, was among the detainees.

In turn, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said it does not have precise information about the nationality of Abdullayev.

Earlier last week the Russian Foreign Ministry said that some individuals arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Houston on suspicion of spying for the Russian defense and intelligence services have Azerbaijani citizenship.

According to local media, Taghiyeva was a shop assistant and Abdullayev was the siding manager in the Houston-based American company Arc Electronics, which, according to the US Attorney's Office, delivered illegally the highly technological equipment to Russia.

Both of them are charged with illegal export of microelectronics from the U.S. to Russia and of breaking two international documents. They are believed to have given wrong information to the U.S. government about the reasons of supplying the microchips and did not hold a license for export.

They could be sentenced to 20 years in prison if the court finds them guilty.

Eight members of the alleged secret Russian military procurement network were arrested, while three suspects are still at large and believed to be outside the United States, RIA Novosti reported.

The FBI in New York said last Wednesday that 11 suspects had been charged with illegally exporting military technology to Russia, namely, microelectronic components destined for Russia's intelligence and military agencies.

The main suspect, described as an "agent of the Russian government," was named as 46 year-old Russian citizen Fishenko, who heads Arc Electronics, and a Moscow-registered company called Apex System.

The United States Commerce Department has already blacklisted 165 foreign companies and individuals in connection with the activities of several people from the former republics of the USSR suspected of spying activity related to export of a range of items.