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The UAE has announced that it has officially concluded its investigation into a Sudanese arms smuggling network and referred the case to the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal (State Security Court) for a final ruling.

UAE Attorney General Counsellor Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered the referral of 13 defendants and 6 UAE-registered companies on charges of illicit trafficking in military materiel, forgery, and money laundering.

The probe, which was first announced in April 2025, marks the conclusion of one of the most significant arms trafficking cases handled by UAE authorities.

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Of the 13 individual suspects, some have been arrested inside the UAE and are facing proceedings before the court, while others remain outside the country. UAE authorities have identified all defendants and named the companies involved.

The suspects who include Sudanese politicians, former intelligence officers, and businessmen are linked to Sudan’s Islamic Movement and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Investigations confirmed that the illegal deals were carried out at the direct request of the armament committee of the Port Sudan Authority, chaired by Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his deputy Yasser Al Atta, with coordination attributed to Othman Mohammed Al Zubair Mohammed.

The six companies were used as front entities to facilitate and conceal the transactions. The scope of the charges also includes individuals alleged to have played roles in direction and coordination, including Salah Abdallah Mohammed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh, the former Director of Sudan’s National Intelligence Service.

The defendants face charges of illicit trafficking in military materiel, forgery and use of official documents, and laundering the proceeds derived from these crimes, constituting serious violations of UAE law.

Investigations confirmed that the suspects executed their scheme through two interrelated transactions, involving prior planning and the use of commercial and financial fronts to conceal the unlawful nature of the operations.

In the first transaction, concluded outside the UAE, an agreement was reached to supply military materiel including Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, and grenades, with a declared value of $13 million, while its actual value did not exceed $10 million.

The difference was allocated as illicit commissions distributed 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 was executed within the UAE using more than $2 million from the proceeds of the first deal to procure an additional shipment of Goryunov ammunition. Part of this shipment was brought into the country through fraudulent means via a private aircraft, in preparation for transfer to Port Sudan.

What the investigation uncovered

The competent authorities succeeded in uncovering the operation, tracking financial flows and shipments, and foiling the scheme before completion. Some of the defendants were arrested and the attempted transit of materiel was prevented.

Investigations further revealed that the scheme extended beyond the seized shipment the defendants had prepared plans to smuggle an additional 5 million rounds of Goryunov ammunition through 6 further transactions. The disruption of the first shipment prevented the execution of these operations.

The investigation resulted in conclusive evidence, including the seizure and analysis of financial and commercial records, documents and official correspondence, tracked bank transfers and cash flows linked to the transactions, confessions from several defendants, and documented recordings and communications demonstrating coordination among those involved.

The 13 defendants

The individuals referred to trial are: 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 6 Companies

The six UAE-registered 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.

The Public Prosecution stressed that the UAE will not tolerate any attempt to exploit its territory, institutions, or financial system for unlawful purposes, affirming that the sovereignty and security of the state are a red line and that the law will be applied with full firmness to all those involved.

Every nation has the right to procure arms through legitimate and official channels. What the UAE will not accept is the use of its soil and financial system to conduct such transactions outside the law. 

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