'Japanese Yakuza leader' indicted by US federal prosecutor for attempted nuclear material smuggling
A new indictment has been issued for Takeshi Ebisawa, the leader of an international crime syndicate who
Southern District of New York | US Attorney Announces Nuclear Materials Trafficking Charges Against Japanese Yakuza Leader | United States Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-nuclear-materials-trafficking-charges-against-japanese-yakuza
On February 21, 2024, three judicial officials, including Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, pursued Ebisawa on suspicion of conspiring with his associates to transport nuclear material from Myanmar to other countries. An announcement was made that charges would be filed.
According to prosecutors Williams and others, Ebisawa showed a sample of nuclear material to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent who was posing as a drug and arms trafficker, and authorities later confiscated and analyzed the sample. was found to be genuine, leading to charges of conspiracy to smuggle nuclear materials.
Prosecutor Williams referred to Ebisawa as 'Japan's yakuza leader.' He will be arraigned on the additional indictment along with co-defendant Songfop Singasiri.
According to the indictment, Ebisawa told DEA investigators in early 2020 that he could obtain 'a large amount of nuclear material,' and later posted photos of rocks being measured for radiation with a Geiger counter and images of the material. He said he had sent analysis results showing that it contained thorium and uranium .
After being questioned repeatedly by Ebisawa, the investigator agreed to bring in an associate posing as an Iranian general and mediate the sale of nuclear material for use in a nuclear weapons program. Ebisawa then suggested that he offer the general plutonium , which is even better than uranium. The suspect Ebisawa asked for military weapons as compensation.
During the investigation, Ebisawa's accomplices revealed that they had access to over 2,000 kg of thorium-232 and over 100 kg of triuranium octoxide (the main ingredient in yellow cake ), and that they had produced 5 tons of nuclear material in Myanmar. It has also been revealed that he said, 'I can do it.' Ebisawa and his two accomplices later confronted investigators and presented a plastic container containing a sample of nuclear material, which the investigators photographed.
The samples were subsequently confiscated and handed over to the United States with the cooperation of Thai authorities. The samples were tested by the U.S. Nuclear Forensic Laboratory and found that each sample contained detectable amounts of uranium, thorium, and plutonium. In particular, the isotopic composition of plutonium is weapons-grade, and it has been determined that if sufficient quantities were produced, it could have been used in nuclear weapons.
Ebisawa faces a total of seven charges, including trafficking in nuclear materials, conspiracy to import drugs, possession and trafficking of weapons, and could be sentenced to multiple life sentences. 'The acts alleged in today's indictment are, without exaggeration, serious,' said Prosecutor Williams. We also negotiated the purchase of high-powered weapons. We thank our law enforcement partners for making sure the suspects were brought to justice in American courts.'
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