In February of 2024, senior Japanese mafia figure Takeshi Ebisawa was charged with conspiring to traffic nuclear materials by US authorities. Ebisawa, 60, was accused of attempting to sell uranium and plutonium, which he believed were destined for Iran to build a nuclear bomb. US authorities further allege that Ebisawa sought to procure substantial amounts of military-grade weapons on behalf of an unspecified rebel group in Myanmar. Both Ebisawa and his co-defendant will face arraignment in New York on the charges.
In a shocking turn of events, US authorities charged a senior figure in the Yakuza, a sprawling Japanese organised crime group, with conspiracy to traffic nuclear materials. They claimed that Takeshi Ebisawa, a member of the Yakuza, had attempted to sell uranium and plutonium with the intention of fueling Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions. In addition to this charge, Ebisawa faces charges of trying to obtain large quantities of military-grade weapons. If convicted of these charges, he faces life imprisonment. Ebisawa’s co-defendant, Somphop Singhasiri, is facing charges of drugs and weapons. Both men will be arraigned in a New York federal courtroom.
This case is particularly troubling given that these individuals were accused of conspiring to obtain and traffic nuclear materials, which could have had serious global consequences. It is alleged that these men attempted to make these deals with an undercover agent from the US Drug Enforcement Agency, who was posing as a drug and weapons trafficker with ties to an Iranian general. If these allegations prove to be true, it will be a significant blow to global security, and these individuals will be held accountable for their actions.
