VIRGINIA WATER– A former techno DJ has been sentenced after selling nearly £7 million worth of counterfeit aircraft engine parts from his home in Surrey, triggering a global aviation safety scare. The fraudulent components were installed in engines powering fleets operated by Ethiopian Airlines (ET) and American Airlines (AA), impacting aircraft that serve major hubs worldwide.
The forged parts were fitted into CFM56 engines used on Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft, two of the most widely operated narrowbody jets in commercial aviation. Authorities in the UK, US, and EU issued urgent safety alerts in August 2023, leading airlines to ground aircraft for inspections at key airports, including Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD).
Counterfeit Parts Network
Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, 38, operated AOG Technics from his garage in Virginia Water, Surrey. Between 2019 and 2023, he forged more than 60,000 authenticity certificates for engine components using his home computer.
Prosecutors told Southwark Crown Court that he falsified documentation to misrepresent the origin and serviceability of aircraft engine parts. He supplied blades, seals, bolts, vanes, and washers with fraudulent authorized release certificates to customers across several continents.
Ethiopian Airlines purchased 5,627 individual parts with false documentation for approximately £1.1 million. American Airlines did not buy directly from AOG, but investigators later found 28 of its engines contained unapproved components traced back to the company.
The total financial losses to airlines reached £39.3 million. Much of the cost resulted from emergency inspections, grounded aircraft, and replacement of suspect parts.
Global Safety Impact of the Fraud Parts
The counterfeit components were designed for the CFM56, the world’s most widely used commercial aircraft engine. This engine powers thousands of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 jets, making the safety implications significant.
According to The Independent, the fraud came to light when a bolt supplied to Portuguese carrier TAP Air Portugal failed to fit during maintenance checks.
That discrepancy prompted a detailed document review, exposing forged certificates that closely resembled legitimate approvals under EU, US, UK, Singaporean, and Chinese aviation standards.
On August 4, 2023, aviation regulators issued safety notices warning operators about parts supplied by AOG Technics. Airlines worldwide grounded affected aircraft to conduct urgent inspections and prevent potential in-flight risks.
Investigators later searched Zamora Yrala’s home in December 2023. He admitted that AOG sometimes sold parts as if they were manufactured by original equipment manufacturers when they were not.
Court Sentencing Details
Judge Simon Picken sentenced Zamora Yrala to four years and eight months in prison. The court found that he used deliberate subterfuge to undermine aviation safety systems built to protect millions of passengers annually.
Authorities revealed that AOG Technics had only a handful of listed employees, including Zamora Yrala, his former wife, her brother, and a nanny. Several supposed staff members communicating with customers were fictitious identities created to project credibility.
The UK Serious Fraud Office stated that 90 percent of AOG’s revenue during the indictment period relied on forged documentation. Zamora Yrala has also been disqualified from serving as a company director for eight years and faces further proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Portuguese authorities continue to investigate other individuals linked to the case, with three people currently in custody. The case has renewed global focus on supply chain oversight and regulatory compliance within the aviation maintenance sector.
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