UK authorities make arrest following investigation into the sale of unapproved jet engine parts

Authorities in London have arrested one person as they investigate the sale of unapproved aircraft parts that have turned up in the fleets of several major airlines.

The U.K. Serious Fraud Office said Wednesday that the arrest and seizure of material came during a raid of an address in London.

The agency said that it launched a new investigation into fraud at London-based AOG Technics Ltd., which for several years has supplied aircraft businesses with parts for popular jet engines produced by CFM International.

Earlier this year, aviation authorities in Europe, the U.K. and the United States warned businesses about the AOG parts and asked them to check the origin of parts supplied by AOG.

Suspected unapproved engine parts have wound up at Ireland’s Ryanair, TAP Air Portugal, Virgin Australia and several U.S. carriers including American, United, Delta and Southwest, according to published reports.

Fake or unapproved parts have plagued the aviation industry for years, with authorities blaming greed on the part of suppliers and poor oversight by regulators.

In some cases, the parts are counterfeits, akin to knockoff handbags. In other cases, they are mislabeled, paperwork may be forged, or used parts are passed off as new ones.