Jail for boss who broke export rules

A LANCASHIRE businessman has been jailed for eight months and ordered to pay £30,000 costs for illegally supplying radiation detection equipment to Iran.

Phillip Bisgrove, 57, of Morecambe, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to five counts of being knowingly concerned in the exportation of any prohibited or restricted goods.

The conviction at Southward Crown Court on Friday came after an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs.

Mr Bisgrove is the owner of NDT Mart, a company that exports non-destructive testing equipment. He was quizzed by HMRC investigators about his export activities, particularly those involving sales of dosimeters to an Iranian company called Sakht Afzar Farayand Eng Co (SAFCO).

HMRC officers searched Mr Bisgrove’s home, taking emails, invoices and other documents as evidence that he had known all along that his deals were illegal.

Emails from his contact at SAFCO, Peyman Rostami, had even discussed shipping goods via Dubai, Malaysia and China in order to avoid export licence controls.

When interviewed by HMRC, Bisgrove tried to mislead, avoid and confuse issues regarding his deals with the Iranian firm, claiming he did not know a license was required to export the dosimeters.

However, when faced with the evidence – particularly his own emails – he admitted he knew all along he needed a license for the exports to be legal.

Peter Millroy, assistant director of Criminal Investigation for HMRC, said: “Phillip Bisgrove knew he was breaking the law by sending this equipment to Iran, but he went ahead with the deal because he put personal profit before everything else.

“This case shows that those who flout the law in this way will be identified, investigated and if convicted will receive a prison sentence.”

Confiscation proceedings are underway. The total value of the exported goods is £14,512.58.