A man posing as a leader of a Japanese crime syndicate has admitted in a New York court to attempting to smuggle uranium and plutonium from Myanmar to Iran. He was exposed when it was revealed he was negotiating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), rather than Iran.
The DEA had been monitoring Takeshi Ebisawa since at least 2019 due to his involvement in large-scale drug smuggling to the U.S. and arms trafficking to Myanmar. An agent, pretending to be an arms and drug dealer, gained his trust.
Ebisawa proposed smuggling drugs from Myanmar to the U.S. in exchange for heavy military weapons, which were intended for rebels in Myanmar. The U.S. Department of Justice did not confirm if this plan was executed.
In 2020, Ebisawa told the DEA agent he could access a large quantity of nuclear material via a rebel leader in Myanmar, intending to sell it to a third party to fund further weapon purchases. He showed photos of rock-like substances next to Geiger counters to back his claims.
Tests confirmed it was high-grade nuclear material, capable of being weaponized. The DEA introduced another agent posing as an Iranian general, to whom Ebisawa claimed he could also supply plutonium.
In April 2022, Ebisawa and three associates were lured to New York, where they were arrested. He is also charged with drug smuggling and money laundering, facing a potential life sentence.
The court will deliver its verdict on April 9.
Source: NOS