The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
announced that Cabela's Inc. has agreed to pay a civil penalty of
$680,000 to settle allegations that it committed 152 violations of the
Export Administration Regulations involving the export of controlled
optical sighting devices to various countries.
The allegations involved 76 exports of optical sighting devices for
firearms in 2004 and 2005 to Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Finland,
Ireland, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, South
Africa, Sweden and Taiwan. BIS also alleged that Cabela's failed to
file the required Shipper's Export Declaration (now known as Electronic
Export Information) for each of the 76 exports in question.
Optical sighting devices for firearms are classified on the Commerce
Control List under ECCN 0A987 and are controlled for crime control and
firearms convention reasons.
In February 2005, Cabela's settled similar allegations made by BIS
that, on 685 occasions in 1999 and 2000, Cabela's made unlicensed
exports of optical sighting devices to a number of countries, including
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile and Mexico. Cabela's paid a $265,000
civil penalty to settle those charges.
