Helka Settles Charges of Illegal Exports to Iran

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that Helka GmbH (Helka), of Dietzenbach, Germany, agreed to pay a $15,000 civil penalty to settle charges that it violated the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) when it exported controlled items without the required licenses.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) charged that in August 1997, Helka purchased a PhotoScan TD photo digitizing system from a U.S. manufacturer, listing an end user located in the United Arab Emirates. Helka later shipped the Photoscan TD digitizing system and accompanying software to Iran without the required export licenses. Helka was also charged with having forwarded the PhotoScan TD system to Iran with knowledge that a violation of the EAR was about to occur and having solicited the servicing of the goods in Iran in violation of the EAR.

Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Julie L. Myers commended Special Agent Alan Berkowitz of BIS’s Miami Field Office for his efforts in the investigation.