The FBI began its investigation into the alleged sale of counterfeit spare parts for the airline industry when it was alerted to their presence in US military aircraft, it has emerged.
Chief Supt Liam Quinn, who is heading a Garda investigation into the possibility that parts may have been sold from an outlet in Shannon, said suspicions were raised as to the authenticity of parts supplied. "They believe that evidence to substantiate these allegations is to be found in Ireland," he added.
Gardai in the Irish investigation are drawn from the Clare division, the Bureau of Fraud Investigation, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Air Support Unit and the Technical Bureau. "The request is to seize certain items of property and transport them to the US," Chief Supt Quinn said.
No arrests have been made, but a number of individuals, including US citizens, were voluntarily co-operating, he added. Meanwhile, it emerged that the Air Corps had been approached by the company with an offer to provide spare parts for its fleet. Smyth Aerospace Manufacturing is not an authorised supplier to the Irish aviation industry, and a Defence Forces spokesman said its offer of business was turned down.
But he added that because the Air Corps had done business with a spare parts company "on the periphery of the investigation", a senior officer had been sent to Shannon to liaise with the Garda and the Irish Aviation Authority and a safety audit of the corps spare parts was being carried out.
Supt John Farrelly of the Garda Press Office said any spurious aircraft parts could be reconditioned old parts, and several thousand items would have to be transported to the US and examined by experts.
An IAA spokeswoman said companies producing, repairing, manufacturing or installing aircraft parts had to be approved by their national aviation authority.