The plane, a Falcon 50 registered in the Swiss aircraft registry, which also covers Liechtenstein, was seized shortly before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 as part of a joint effort with the governments of Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Jordan to uncover an Iraqi government financial network.

The Liechtenstein FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) assumed responsibility for the issue in 2003 and initiated the necessary measures for a successful handover to the Iraqi state - the first case of a return of mobile property to the Iraqi government under Security Council resolution 1483

The plane was accepted by the Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva who declared the handover at Basle airport a "symbolic act" for the people of Iraq. Also present at the handover were Ambassador Mihnea Motoc (Romania), chairman of the UN sanction committee for Iraq, the Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Baha Al-Shibib, and Liechtenstein's ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Christian Wenaweser.

“The implementation of the relevant UN resolutions was a key concern for us, which is why the sanction committee was always kept updated on the progress,” Ambassador Wenaweser stated.

Juan Zarate, assistant US treasury secretary overseeing terrorist financing and financial crimes noted that: “As a direct result of these efforts, this former symbol of the Hussein regime will be returned to the Iraqi people."