Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, director of UK-based aircraft parts trader AOG Technics, has today been sentenced to 4 years 8 months in prison for orchestrating a global aircraft engine parts fraud that risked public safety and caused widespread disruption to the aviation industry.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) told Southwark Crown Court that its investigation had uncovered how Zamora, aged 38, sold parts to airlines and suppliers across the globe as part of a £39.3 million fraud conducted from his home office in Surrey.
Investigators uncovered that from January 2019 to July 2023, AOG Technics sold over 60,000 aircraft engine parts worth £6.9 million accompanied by forged Authorised Release Certificates (ARCs) – documentation that guarantees airworthiness.
Most of the parts AOG sold were for use in the CFM56 engine, the world’s most widely used commercial aircraft engine, leading to AOG generating over £7.7 million in revenue – 90% from fraud – in just four years.
The SFO exposed how Zamora used his home computer to doctor genuine ARCs, creating false memos of shipments to indicate AOG had purchased parts directly from original equipment manufacturers such as the aircraft equipment manufacturer Safran.
Zamora also invented fake employees, with customers receiving emails and documents signed by a range of fabricated sales managers and quality managers, as part of creating an illusion of a legitimate business.
AOG Technics’ operation was brought to a halt in 2023, after an airline contacted Safran to check the authenticity of an AOG part.
Safran identified the certificate as a fake and alerted authorities, leading to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issuing safety alerts in relation to all AOG Technics parts.
Planes in the UK and across the world were grounded, with an estimated loss of over £39.3 million for airlines including American Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines as well as various manufacturers.
The SFO’s investigation led Zamora to plead guilty in December 2025 to fraudulent trading – meaning the case was concluded just over two years after it was announced.
Director of Operations Emma Luxton said:
Zamora’s operation risked public safety on a global scale in a way that defies belief.
I’m proud that we have used our specialist skills and expertise to bring him to justice and this criminal operation to the ground as swiftly as possible.
