Abu Dhabi – Horn of Africa Policy Center (HAPC): In a significant legal and security development with direct implications for the Horn of Africa, the UAE Attorney General, Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, has referred 19 defendants—including 13 individuals and six UAE-registered companies—to the State Security Department of the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court. The defendants face severe charges, including the illegal trafficking of military equipment, forgery, and money laundering.

The Port Sudan Connection Extensive investigations by the UAE Public Prosecution revealed an elaborate scheme to smuggle arms and ammunition to authorities in Port Sudan via UAE territory. The illicit operations were linked to procurement requests made by the “Armament Committee” in Port Sudan, headed by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his deputy Yasser Al-Atta, and coordinated by Osman Mohamed Al-Zubair. The indictment also names the former head of Sudanese Intelligence, Salah Abdallah Mohamed Salih (widely known as Salah Gosh), citing his role in directing and coordinating the operations.

Mechanics of the Illicit Deals The defendants utilized commercial and financial front companies to obscure the illegal nature of their activities, which were executed in two interconnected phases:

• The First Deal (External): An agreement was made outside the UAE to supply military hardware, including Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, and grenades. The deal was officially declared at $13 million, though its actual value was only $10 million. The $3 million discrepancy was allocated as illegal kickbacks and distributed among the defendants. These funds were laundered through licensed companies and bank accounts within the UAE under the guise of legitimate commercial transactions.

• The Second Deal (Internal): Utilizing over $2 million from the proceeds of the first deal, a subsequent transaction was executed within the UAE to urgently procure additional ammunition (Goryunov rounds). The perpetrators fraudulently brought the initial part of this shipment into the UAE via a private jet, preparing to transfer it to Port Sudan.

Thwarting Future Smuggling Operations UAE security apparatus successfully uncovered the network, tracked the financial flows, and dismantled the operation before the shipments reached their final destination in April 2025. Investigations further revealed that the foiled plot was part of a larger scheme intended to smuggle an additional 5 million rounds of ammunition across six subsequent deals, all of which have now been preempted.

The prosecution’s case is supported by compelling evidence, including financial documents, official correspondence, analysis of cash flows, confessions from several defendants, and documented recordings proving the coordination among the network’s members.

In its statement, the UAE Public Prosecution reiterated the country’s zero-tolerance policy regarding the exploitation of its territory, institutions, or financial systems for illicit activities, emphasizing that the rule of law will be strictly applied to safeguard national security and the integrity of the state.

List of Defendants Referred to Trial: Individuals: Rashid Omar Abdel Qader Ali, Mohamed Al-Fateh Mohamed Bey, Salah Abdallah Mohamed Salih (Salah Gosh), Abdallah Khalafallah (Ahmed Abdallah), Ahmed Rabie Sayed Ahmed Mohamed, Yasser Abdel Rahman Hassan Al-Atta, Osman Mohamed Al-Zubair Mohamed, Maher Abdel Jalil Mohamed Abdel Jalil, Khalid Youssef Mokhtar Youssef, Ahmed Khalafallah Abdallah Ahmed, Mubarak Ali Al-Sheikh Mohamed, Osman Baker Ali Karrar, Mosaab Awad Al-Karim Hassan Mohamed. Companies: Rashid Omar Brokerage Company, Portex Trade Limited, Warda Al Masarra Trading Company, Sudamina Company, Yellow Sand Trading Company, Apolara Electronics Trading Company.

SOURCE :

1. وكالة الانباء الامارات
2. The national