The United Arab Emirates has referred 13 individuals and six companies to trial over an alleged attempt to traffic weapons through its territory to Port Sudan, authorities said.
UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the case has been brought before the State Security Court at the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal.
The defendants face charges including illicit arms trafficking, forgery of official documents, and money laundering.
Prosecutors said the network attempted to move a shipment of ammunition through the UAE in violation of national laws, but authorities intercepted the operation before it was completed.
Investigators found that the scheme involved two interconnected transactions designed to conceal its nature through commercial and financial fronts.
The first deal, conducted outside the UAE, involved a weapons supply agreement worth about $13 million, covering items such as Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, and grenades. Authorities said the actual value was lower, with the difference allegedly distributed as illicit commissions through UAE-based entities.
The second phase involved the procurement of additional ammunition within the UAE using more than $2 million from the proceeds of the first transaction. Part of the shipment was transported using fraudulent methods, including a private aircraft.
Authorities said documents falsely labelled the shipment as “humanitarian aid/medical,” listing Sudan’s Ministry of Health as the consignee despite the cargo containing weapons.
Investigations also uncovered plans to expand the operation to smuggle up to five million rounds of ammunition, which were prevented after the initial shipment was disrupted.
Evidence presented includes financial records, bank transfer data, communications, and confessions from several defendants, prosecutors said.
“The UAE will not tolerate any attempt to exploit its territory, institutions or financial system for unlawful purposes,” the Public Prosecution said, stressing that national security remains a “red line.”
The case has now been formally referred to trial as authorities continue to pursue accountability in what they described as a coordinated international smuggling operation.
