Venezuelan techno DJ jailed after selling US$9.3 million worth of counterfeit plane parts
José Alejandro Zamora Yrala sold over 60,000 fake parts that were fitted in planes across the world
A techno DJ has been jailed for 56 months after selling millions of pounds worth of counterfeit aircraft parts.
Venezuela-born, UK-based José Alejandro Zamora Yrala, who goes by the DJ alias Santa Militia, was found to have sold over 60,000 fake plane parts globally, worth around £6.9 million (roughly US$9.3 million).
According to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), parts were fitted into planes around the world before the discovery was made in 2023, when a bolt supplied by Zamora Yrala would not fit into the engine of a Portuguese plane.
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Zamora Yrala, who is based in Surrey, previously admitted to defrauding customers between 2019 and 2023, the BBC reports, while acting as director of the aeronautical company AOG Technics.
The SFO argues that he invented fake employees at the company, sending customers emails and documents signed by fake sales managers, while Zamora Yrala worked from his garage to sell counterfeit parts.
The offence caused hundreds of international planes to be grounded after a safety notice was issued in August 2023, losing airlines a total of almost US$40 million.
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Those affected included Ryanair, TAP Air Portugal, Ethiopian Airlines and American Airlines, who lost over US$20 million as a result, mostly affecting models such as the popular Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
Zamora Yrala was jailed for four years and eight months at Southwark Crown Court this week, with SFO director of operations Emma Luxton saying that he “risked public safety in a way that defies belief”.
Though not recently active as a DJ, last sharing mixes on SoundCloud some nine years ago, Zamora Yrala has performed at London venues including Egg and The Horse & Groom under his techno alias Santa Militia.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X
