In order to obtain needed weapon spare parts, intermediary groups are established, usually involving businessmen living outside of Iran, to acquire the necessary items and ship the goods to Iran. In September 1986, one such group inquired about obtaining a large amount of munitions and spare parts. A member of the group was Iraj Rafiee, a resident alien living in Chicago. Rafiee proceeded to arrange for Iran's military requirements which included radios, bomb sights, and components for the Hawk missile system. As part of the deal, Rafiee stated he could get a steady source of heroin through old contacts he had when he served in the Iranian police. In September 1987, a warrant for the arrest of Rafiee was issued in the Southern District of New York for conspiracy to violate the Munitions Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. When the U.S. government prosecution stated its intention to introduce the heroin conspiracy, Rafiee pleaded guilty to all charges, claiming that he was acting as a loyal Iranian and as a good Moslem. The most significant point of the inquiry was the defendant's reaction to the possibility of exposing his narcotics trafficking to fundamentalist elements of the Iranian culture.