Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

UAE security agencies have thwarted a major arms smuggling operation linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces, arresting multiple suspects involved in transporting millions of rounds of ammunition and military equipment through a private jet. The arrests were made at a UAE airport, where authorities discovered approximately five million rounds of 7.62 x 54.7 mm Giranov-type ammunition inside a private jet. Financial proceeds from the illicit transaction were found in the hotel rooms of two suspects. The Attorney-General of the UAE, Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, confirmed that members of the smuggling cell were connected to senior Sudanese military figures, including former intelligence chief Salah Gosh and political advisor Ahmed Rabie Ahmed Al Sayed, who is reportedly close to General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and Yasser Al Atta. “These individuals facilitated military equipment deals, including Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, grenades, and drones, using forged documents and fake commercial contracts to disguise the transactions,” said Al Shamsi. The illegal arms were transferred to a front company in the UAE using the Hawala Dar money transfer method, coordinated with Colonel Othman Al-Zubair, head of the Sudanese army’s financial operations. Authorities seized fraudulent shipping documents, forged contracts, and recorded communications among cell members. Investigations also uncovered several companies, including one owned by a Sudanese-born Ukrainian national operating in the UAE, involved in facilitating the deals. One of these firms is already under US sanctions. Officials said the shipment falsely declared as medical supplies had landed in the UAE from a foreign country to refuel before being intercepted. Salah Gosh reportedly received a significant share of the $2.6 million profit from the two arms deals. His and other associates’ shares have been confiscated. The UAE Public Prosecution has called the operation a serious breach of national security and a clear violation of international arms regulations. “This case represents a grave danger to UAE’s security, turning its territory into a platform for international arms trafficking amid Sudan’s internal conflict,” Al Shamsi said, adding that suspects will be referred to an expedited trial and results will be released upon the investigation’s conclusion. ICA/Expat Media
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