UAE refers 13 individuals and six companies to trial over illicit military material trafficking case

Abu Dhabi: Counsellor Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, Attorney‑General of the UAE, has ordered the referral of 13 defendants and six UAE‑registered companies to the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal (State Security Court) on charges of illicit trafficking in military materiel, forgery, and money laundering. The decision follows extensive investigations by the Public Prosecution, which revealed that the defendants attempted to pass a shipment of ammunition through UAE territory to the Port Sudan Authority, in clear violation of the laws and regulations in force in the country. Investigations found that the case is linked to procurement arrangements requested by the armament committee of the Port Sudan Authority, chaired by Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his deputy Yasser Al Atta, with coordination attributed to Othman Mohammed Al Zubair Mohammed. The scope of the charges also includes individuals alleged to have played roles in direction and coordination, including Salah Abdallah Mohammed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh. The defendants face charges of illicit trafficking in military materiel, forgery and the use of official documents, as well as laundering proceeds derived from these crimes, constituting serious violations of UAE law. According to prosecutors, the operation was carried out through two interrelated transactions involving prior planning and the use of commercial and financial fronts to conceal its unlawful nature. In the first transaction, concluded outside the UAE, an agreement was reached to supply military materiel, including Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, and grenades, with a declared value of US$13 million, while its actual value did not exceed US$10 million. The difference was allocated as illicit commissions distributed among the defendants for facilitating the deal, with payments routed through licensed companies and bank accounts in the UAE under fictitious commercial cover. The second transaction was executed within the UAE using more than US$2 million from the proceeds of the first deal to procure an additional shipment of ammunition. Part of this shipment was brought into the country through fraudulent means to conceal its true nature, using a private aircraft in preparation for transfer to Port Sudan. The competent authorities succeeded in uncovering the operation, tracking financial flows and shipments, and foiling the scheme before its completion. The defendants were arrested, and the attempted transit of the military materiel was prevented. Investigations further revealed that the scheme extended beyond the seized shipment and included preparations to smuggle an additional five million rounds of Goryunov ammunition through six further transactions. Disrupting the first shipment prevented the execution of these plans. The investigation yielded conclusive evidence, including the seizure and analysis of financial and commercial records, documents, and official correspondence, as well as tracked bank transfers and cash flows linked to the transactions. The evidence also included confessions from several defendants and documented recordings and communications demonstrating coordination among those involved. The Attorney‑General had previously announced on 30 April 2025 that security authorities had foiled an attempt to pass weapons and military materiel through unlawful means to the Port Sudan Authority. This led to the arrest of individuals involved and formed the basis of the current case. In its concluding statement, the Public Prosecution stressed that the UAE will not tolerate any attempt to exploit its territory, institutions, or financial system for unlawful purposes, affirming that the sovereignty and security of the state are a red line and that the law will be applied with full firmness to all those involved. The individuals referred to trial are: Rashed Omar Abdul Qader Ali Mohammed Al Fath Mohammed Beik Salah Abdallah Mohammed Saleh Abdullah Khalafallah Ahmed Rabie Sayed Ahmed Mohammed Yasser Abdulrahman Hassan Al Atta Othman Mohammed Al Zubair Mohammed Maher Abduljalil Mohammed Abduljalil Khaled Yousef Mukhtar Yousef Ahmed Khalafallah Abdullah Ahmed Mubarak Ali Al Sheikh Mohammed Othman Bakr Ali Karrar Musab Awad Al Karim Hassan Mohammed The six companies referred to trial are: Rashed Omar Brokerage Company Portex Trade Limited Wardat Al Masarra Trading Company Sudamina Company Yellow Sand Trading Company Apollara Electronics Trading Company