NEW YORK – The alleged leader of a crime syndicate based in Japan has pleaded guilty to serious charges involving a conspiracy to traffic uranium and plutonium from Myanmar, under the belief that these materials would be utilized by Iran for nuclear weaponry.
Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, entered his plea in a Manhattan federal court, facing charges related to weapons and narcotics trafficking that carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and the potential for life imprisonment. His sentencing is scheduled for April 9.
According to prosecutors, Ebisawa was unaware that he was corresponding in 2021 and 2022 with a confidential source for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the source’s associate impersonating an Iranian general. His arrest took place in April 2022 in Manhattan during a DEA undercover operation.
DEA Administrator stated that this prosecution highlights the DEA’s exceptional capability to dismantle highly dangerous criminal organizations.
The investigation revealed alarming connections between international organized crime, encompassing the trafficking of nuclear materials, the narcotics trade, and the arming of violent insurgents.
Acting U.S. Attorney noted that Ebisawa admitted in court to trafficking nuclear materials, including weapons-grade plutonium, out of Myanmar. Simultaneously, he was involved in plans to ship huge quantities of heroin and methamphetamine to the United States in exchange for advanced weaponry such as surface-to-air missiles to be used in Myanmar’s conflict zones.
Court documents reveal that Ebisawa claimed in 2020 to have access to a significant stockpile of nuclear materials for sale, enhancing his assertion with photographs showing rocky substances and Geiger counters measuring radiation, asserting they contained thorium and uranium.
The nuclear materials reportedly originated from an unidentified leader of an ethnic insurgent group in Myanmar, who had been mining uranium. Ebisawa proposed that the leader sell uranium through him to fund a weapon acquisition from the general, according to court filings.
Samples of the alleged nuclear materials were examined by a U.S. federal laboratory, which confirmed the presence of uranium, thorium, and plutonium. Notably, the plutonium was deemed to be weapons-grade, sufficient for potential use in nuclear weaponry.
