The U.S. Department of Justice revealed a new indictment in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, alleging that a Japanese citizen attempted to sell nuclear materials, including those with potential for nuclear bomb production, to Iran.
Additionally, the individual sought to procure a significant quantity of weapons to supply a terrorist organization.
Takeshi Ebisawa, aged 60, along with co-defendant Somphop Singhasiri, aged 61, had previously faced charges related to international drug trafficking and firearms offenses in April 2022, according to the DOJ.
Ebisawa faces renewed charges in the latest indictment, accused of trying to sell nuclear materials to an individual he believed to be an Iranian general.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division remarked, “The defendant stands accused of conspiring to sell weapons-grade nuclear material and lethal narcotics from Burma, and to purchase military weaponry on behalf of an armed insurgent group. It is chilling to imagine the consequences had these efforts succeeded, and the Justice Department will hold accountable those who traffic in these materials and threaten U.S. national security and international stability.”
Ebisawa informed an undercover DEA agent and a DEA confidential source about his access to a substantial quantity of nuclear materials he intended to sell, providing photos showing substances with radiation levels measured by Geiger counters.
As part of the inquiry, the undercover agent agreed to assist Ebisawa in facilitating the sale of the nuclear materials to an individual posing as an Iranian general for a purported nuclear weapons program.
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Additionally, Ebisawa sent a list to the undercover agent outlining weapons he sought to purchase to equip a terrorist group in Burma.
The weapons sought included thousands of AK-47s, M-16s, machine guns, mortar launches, sniper rifles, RPGs, and surface-to-air missiles.
With the help of Thai authorities, the nuclear samples were confiscated and handed over to U.S. law enforcement.
Analysis by a U.S. nuclear forensic laboratory confirmed the presence of detectable amounts of uranium, thorium, and plutonium in the samples.
Notably, the laboratory determined that the plutonium found in the samples was weapons-grade, suitable for use in a nuclear weapon if produced in sufficient quantities.
