Abu dhabi: Counsellor Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, the 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). The individuals and firms are facing charges of illicit trafficking in military materiel, forgery, and money laundering.
According to Emirates News Agency, the decision follows extensive investigations by the Public Prosecution. These investigations revealed that the defendants attempted to illegally transit a shipment of ammunition through UAE territory to the Port Sudan Authority, violating local laws and regulations.
The investigation uncovered that the case is linked to procurement requests made by the armament committee of the Port Sudan Authority, chaired by Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his deputy Yasser Al Atta, with coordination efforts attributed to Othman Mohammed Al Zubair Mohammed. The charges also name individuals such as Salah Abdallah Mohammed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh, for their alleged roles in direction and coordination.
The defendants face charges of illicit trafficking in military materiel, forgery and use of official documents, as well as laundering proceeds derived from these crimes, which constitute serious violations of UAE law. According to the prosecutors, the operation involved two interrelated transactions with prior planning and the use of commercial and financial fronts to obscure its unlawful nature.
In the first transaction, an agreement was reached to supply military materiel, including Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, and grenades. The declared value was US$13 million, while its actual value was below US$10 million. The difference was allocated as illicit commissions 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 used more than US$2 million from the proceeds of the first deal to procure an additional shipment of ammunition within the UAE. Part of this shipment was brought into the country through fraudulent means, via a private aircraft, in preparation for transfer to Port Sudan.
Authorities successfully uncovered the operation, tracked financial flows and shipments, and foiled the scheme before completion. The defendants were arrested, and the attempted transit of materiel was prevented. Investigations also revealed preparations to smuggle an additional five million rounds of Goryunov ammunition through six further transactions, which were disrupted by the foiling of the first shipment.
Conclusive evidence was gathered, including financial and commercial records, documents, official correspondence, tracked bank transfers, and confessions from several defendants. Documented recordings and communications demonstrated coordination among those involved.
The Attorney-General had previously announced on 30th April 2025 that security authorities had thwarted an attempt to pass weapons and military materiel unlawfully to the Port Sudan Authority, leading to the arrest of individuals involved and forming the basis of the current case.
The Public Prosecution concluded by emphasizing that the UAE will not tolerate any attempt to exploit its territory, institutions, or financial system for unlawful purposes. The sovereignty and security of the state are a red line, and the law will be applied firmly to all those involved.
The named individuals referred to trial include 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, and 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, and Apollara Electronics Trading Company.
