Imagine trying to sell nuclear materials like uranium and plutonium to an Iranian general. That's exactly what Takeshi Ebisawa, a suspected Yakuza boss, was up to. US authorities caught him red-handed in 2021 during an undercover operation. Ebisawa, a 60-year-old Japanese national, pleaded guilty in a New York court to trafficking nuclear materials from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. He also admitted to dealing drugs and weapons.

Myanmar has been in a civil war since 2021, making it a hotspot for crime. Ebisawa claimed he could sell nuclear materials from an insurgent group leader to an Iranian general. He even sent pictures with radiation readings as proof. But it was all part of a plot by US Drug Enforcement Administration agents.

Ebisawa was arrested in 2022 for drug distribution and trying to buy American missiles. Later, he faced charges for the supposed Iranian sale. The US Attorney highlighted Ebisawa’s brazen acts, including trafficking drugs and weapons, and laundering money from New York to Tokyo.

International nuclear trafficking carries a hefty prison sentence, up to 20 years. The DEA administrator stressed their ability to dismantle global crime networks. This case serves as a warning to those dealing in dangerous materials and threats to national security.

Yakuza Boss Caught Trafficking Nuclear Materials

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