LONDON– The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has charged Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala with fraudulent trading following an investigation into AOG Technics, a UK-based supplier of aircraft engine parts.

Zamora Yrala, who served as the company’s director, is accused of running AOG Technics for fraudulent purposes between 2019 and 2023. According to the SFO, the company allegedly supplied parts for CF56 and CF6 aircraft engines — commonly used in passenger and cargo planes — while falsifying documentation related to the parts’ origin, status, or condition.

AOG’s client base included airlines, maintenance organisations, and aviation parts distributors. The alleged fraud prompted widespread concern across the aviation sector.

In 2023, multiple aircraft were grounded in the UK and abroad after safety alerts were issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). These notices warned that operators may have purchased or installed parts sourced from AOG Technics with fraudulent certification.

The SFO launched a formal investigation soon after, and has since collaborated with Portuguese authorities in a joint inquiry into the suspected distribution of falsified safety-critical components. Last week, Portuguese enforcement agencies — with SFO officers in attendance — raided ten locations across Portugal and arrested three individuals. That investigation remains ongoing.

Zamora Yrala is scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 2 June 2025.

SFO Director Nick Ephgrave QPM commented:

“Aircraft were grounded and serious disruption was caused. Today’s charges are the result of a focused and fast-moving investigation.”

“I am proud that we’ve moved swiftly, in close cooperation with our European partners, to bring this significant case to charge in just 19 months.”