The Security Service of Ukraine prevented an attempt to illegally export aircraft components subject to state export control.

"In the course of comprehensive measures in Dnipro, two entrepreneurs were exposed who were trying to smuggle two D-36 turbojet aircraft engines to Iran for sale," the SBU said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday.

According to the special service, it was established that the defendants planned to sell Ukrainian products to foreigners for $400,000.

The "customers" planned to use the high-tech equipment for An-74 military transport aircraft. To disguise their criminal activity, the offenders wanted to remove aircraft engines from Ukraine under the guise of components for main gas pipelines. For this purpose, false information was entered into the commodity-transport declarations," the SBU said.

Employees of the SBU promptly exposed the deal and blocked it.

According to investigators, the organizers of the scheme are two owners of a Dnipro-based company specializing in cargo transportation to the countries of the Middle East and Africa.

According to operational information, the engines that they tried to illegally export abroad were previously stolen during the liquidation of one of the state-owned enterprises.

"The dealers planned to make a 'cosmetic' repair of these units and make fake documents on them for subsequent sale," the SBU said.

According to it, the offenders stored aircraft products in a hangar on the territory of the enterprise, where law enforcement officers found it during searches at the place of work of the defendants.

Currently, the engines are withdrawn for examination. After that, the issue of their transfer to the needs of the military industrial complex of Ukraine will be considered.

As part of the criminal proceedings initiated by the SBU investigators under Part 1 of Article 333 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the procedure for international transfers of goods subject to state export control), an investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring those responsible to justice.