'%20id='ico-down'%20stroke='%23000000'%20stroke-width='1.5'%3e%3cg%20transform='translate(1092.250000,%20254.750000)'%3e%3cpolyline%20id='Path-2-Copy-4'%20transform='translate(5.500000,%202.750000)%20scale(1,%20-1)%20rotate(-180.000000)%20translate(-5.500000,%20-2.750000)%20'%20points='0%200%205.5%205.5%2011%200'%3e%3c/polyline%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
Spanish police said Thursday they halted the illegal sale of nine Bell-112 military transport helicopters to Iran and detained eight people including three Iranians.
Police seized the US-made helicopters and arrested five Spanish businessmen suspected of trying to export them along with three Iranians accused of negotiating the purchase of military materiel.
In the operation, dubbed “Nam”, they raided industrial sites in Madrid and Barcelona and also snatched spare parts destined for export to Venezuela, police said in a statement.
The total value of the helicopters and spares was 100 million euros ($140 million), they said.