Eight sentenced to life in UAE over arms trafficking to Sudanese army
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Radio Tamazuj
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal sentenced eight people to life imprisonment for allegedly organising an arms and ammunition trafficking operation intended for the Sudanese army. Several other defendants received three-year sentences, two were acquitted and six companies were penalised, according to The Arab Weekly, cited by Radio Tamazuj.
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal sentenced eight people to life imprisonment for arms and ammunition trafficking intended for the Sudanese army, The Arab Weekly reports. Several other defendants were sentenced to three years in prison; two were acquitted and six companies were fined.
The case concerns an attempt to transport a military shipment via the United Arab Emirates to Port Sudan, where the authorities aligned with the Sudanese army are based. The court also ordered the confiscation of funds and equipment linked to the operations, including ammunition, telephones and communication devices. Those convicted are to be deported after serving their sentences.
The investigation concerned two linked transactions. The first involved the purchase of weapons and military equipment, including Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns and grenades, for a declared value of $13 million. Investigators estimated that the shipment was worth no more than $10 million, with the remaining $3 million intended for illicit commissions. More than $2 million from the operation was allegedly used to purchase an additional shipment of ammunition. Part of it was allegedly brought into the UAE aboard a private aircraft, with documents describing it as humanitarian aid or medical equipment.
On 30 April, the Emirati prosecution service announced that 13 people and six companies registered in the country had been referred to the State Security Court. The charges included the illegal trade in military equipment, the falsification of official documents and money laundering.
