TOKYO: Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, of Japan, confessed to trafficking nuclear materials and narcotics in a Manhattan courtroom.
The case reveals a conspiracy spanning Burma, Thailand, Japan, and the United States, involving criminal networks.
Ebisawa admitted to selling uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, alongside heroin and methamphetamine, to buyers.
Authorities connected him with surface-to-air missile transactions intended for armed groups in Burma.
Trafficking Scheme Unveiled
The DEA infiltrated Ebisawa’s network using an undercover agent posing as a narcotics and weapons trafficker.
Ebisawa introduced the agent to associates to broker large-scale deals involving weapons and drugs.
Weapons, including missiles, were allegedly obtained from U.S. military bases in Afghanistan and traded for narcotics.
The narcotics were planned for distribution in New York as partial payment for military-grade weapons.
Nuclear Materials Exposed
Ebisawa claimed access to large quantities of nuclear substances, including uranium, thorium, and weapons-grade plutonium.
He shared photos and documents proving the radioactive materials’ potency to undercover agents.
He planned to sell these materials to a purported Iranian general for a nuclear weapons program.
Plastic containers containing uranium and thorium samples were presented during negotiations in Southeast Asia.
International Operation Stops Trafficking
Thai authorities helped seize nuclear materials from Ebisawa and his associates.
Lab tests confirmed the samples contained uranium, thorium, and weapons-grade plutonium suitable for nuclear weapons.
The DEA’s investigation disrupted further transactions of drugs, weapons, and nuclear materials by Ebisawa’s network.
Ebisawa’s co-conspirators also participated in laundering drug money and facilitating illegal transactions.
Justice and Accountability
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting threats to national security.
The DEA reaffirmed its dedication to dismantling international crime networks endangering public safety.
Ebisawa’s guilty plea includes charges of nuclear material trafficking, narcotics distribution, and illegal weapons trading.
He faces significant prison time upon sentencing in federal court.
