Japanese mafia boss conspired to traffic nuclear materials, says US
US prosecutors have filed charges against an alleged member of the Japanese mafia, accusing him of conspiring to traffic nuclear materials.
Takeshi Ebisawa, aged 60, is accused of attempting to sell uranium and plutonium under the belief that it would be transferred to Iran for the purpose of constructing a nuclear bomb.
Ebisawa and a co-defendant from Thailand had previously faced charges related to weapons and drugs in April 2022. If found guilty of the current charges, Ebisawa could face life imprisonment.
According to US authorities, Ebisawa, who is currently detained in a Brooklyn jail, holds a senior position within the Japanese organized crime syndicate known as the Yakuza. The syndicate operates in various countries including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and the United States.
The US Department of Justice alleges that Ebisawa and his associates presented samples of nuclear materials in Thailand to an undercover agent from the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), who posed as a trafficker with connections to an Iranian general.
The nuclear samples, originating from Myanmar, were confiscated by Thai authorities and subsequently handed over to US investigators. Testing conducted by a US laboratory confirmed the presence of uranium and weapons-grade plutonium in the materials.
Prosecutors further claim that Ebisawa attempted to procure substantial quantities of military-grade weapons on behalf of an unidentified rebel faction in Myanmar. These weapons included surface-to-air missiles, assault rifles, sniper rifles, machine guns, rockets of various calibres, and assorted tactical gear.
“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 US national security and international stability,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G Olden said in a statement on Wednesday.
In February 2020, Mr Ebisawa allegedly contacted the DEA agent about selling nuclear materials. According to US prosecutors, he explained via encrypted communications that uranium is “not good for your health”.
In September that year, Mr Ebisawa allegedly emailed the undercover DEA agent a letter bearing the name of a mining company. He offered to sell 50 tonnes of uranium and thorium for $6.85m (£5.4m).
Prosecutors also say he sent photographs showing “a dark rocky material” with a Geiger counter, which is used to measure levels of radiation.
Mr Ebisawa faces charges including conspiracy to commit international trafficking of nuclear materials, narcotics importation conspiracy, conspiracy to acquire, transfer and possess anti-aircraft missiles and money laundering.
His co-conspirator in the case, 61-year-old Thai national Somphop Singhasiri, is facing drug and weapons charges.
The pair will be arraigned in a New York federal courtroom on Thursday.
