(qlmbusinessnews.com . Tue 24th Feb, 2026) London, UK —
Aircraft Safety Compromised: Fraudster Sells 60,000 Fake Engine Parts Worldwide
A man who led a UK-based company in the fraudulent sale of £7m-worth of aircraft engine components has been imprisoned for four years and eight months. Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, at the helm of AOG Technics, distributed approximately 60,000 parts globally for popular aircraft engines, leveraging counterfeit certificates.
Southwark Crown Court was informed of how AOG Technics, under Zamora Yrala's direction from 2019 to 2023, used fake documentation to sell parts for CFM56 engines—a leading aircraft engine produced by CFM International, utilized by a range of commercial planes including the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
The fraudulent activity was unearthed when a TAP Air Portugal engineer raised concerns over a part's provenance, which, upon investigation, was verified to have falsified paperwork.
Justice Simon Picken, in passing the conviction, remarked that Zamora Yrala had gravely compromised the integrity of aviation safety regulations meant to protect passengers, describing his fraud as a sweeping breach of trust.
The 38-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of fraudulent trading late last year following a probe by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which led to the discoveries.
The ramifications of Zamora Yrala's deceit were widespread, with airlines such as Ryanair, American Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, and TAP Air Portugal suffering disruptions. Aircraft all over the world had to be grounded temporarily for safety checks, leading to aggregate losses pegged at £39.3 million by the SFO.
Central to the fraud were the doctored Authorised Release Certificates (ARCs), crucial documents that attest to the airworthiness of aircraft parts. The court learned some of these were legitimate ARCs altered unlawfully, while others were complete fabrications assisted by a graphical designer from Spain.
Zamora Yrala, operating from Surrey, also concocted fictional employees to lend credence to his operations, misleading customers with communications seemingly from a team of professionals.
However, it was revealed in court that the only individuals associated with AOG Technics were Zamora Yrala, his former wife, her brother, and the family's nanny.
The origin of the 60,000 parts sold remains a mystery, with SFO case controller Harriet Sassoon noting the difficulty in tracing back parts accompanied by forged certificates.
In response to his offences, Zamora Yrala is also banned from serving as a company director for eight years and is scheduled to face additional proceedings concerning the proceeds of his crimes later in the year.
Meanwhile, an ongoing investigation by Portuguese authorities in relation to Zamora Yrala's fraudulent scheme continues to unfold.
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