UAE charges 13 people, 6 firms in Port Sudan arms trafficking case

The UAE's Attorney-General, Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, has ordered the referral of 13 defendants and six UAE-registered companies to the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal (State Security Court) on charges of illicit trafficking in military materiel, forgery and money laundering.

The move follows extensive investigations by the Public Prosecution, which found that the defendants attempted to transit a shipment of ammunition through UAE territory destined for the Port Sudan Authority, in violation of UAE laws and regulations.

Investigations found that the case is linked to procurement arrangements requested by the armament committee of the Port Sudan Authority, chaired by Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his deputy Yasser Al Atta, with coordination attributed to Othman Mohammed Al Zubair Mohammed.

The scope of the charges also includes individuals alleged to have played roles in direction and coordination, including Salah Abdallah Mohammed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh.

According to prosecutors, the operation involved two interconnected transactions using commercial and financial fronts to conceal its illegal nature.

UAE Attorney-General refers network of 13 defendants, six firms to State Security Court over bid to transit military materiel to Port Sudan Authority#WamNews https://t.co/l49DndpId1 pic.twitter.com/UAubIVlnWo

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) April 30, 2026

The first transaction, conducted outside the UAE, involved an agreement to supply military equipment including Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns and grenades, with a declared value of $13 million, while its actual value did not exceed $10 million.

The difference was allocated as illicit commissions distributed among the defendants for facilitating the deal, with payments routed through licensed companies and bank accounts in the UAE under fictitious commercial cover.

The second transaction took place inside the UAE, using more than $2 million from the proceeds of the initial deal to procure an additional ammunition shipment.

Part of this shipment was brought into the country through fraudulent means to conceal its true nature, via a private aircraft in preparation for transfer to Port Sudan.

Authorities confirmed the operation was uncovered before completion, with financial flows and shipments tracked and the attempted transit of military materiel successfully foiled. The defendants were arrested as part of the operation.

Investigators also found indications of broader planned activity, including attempts to smuggle additional ammunition through multiple related transactions, which were disrupted following the initial intervention.

The case file includes financial records, correspondence, bank transfer data and recorded communications, alongside statements from several defendants, forming what prosecutors describe as conclusive evidence.

The Attorney-General had previously announced in April 2025 that security authorities had foiled an attempt to unlawfully pass weapons through the UAE to the Port Sudan Authority, which led to the current investigation.

The Public Prosecution stressed that the UAE will not tolerate the exploitation of its territory or financial systems for illegal activity, reaffirming that national security remains a red line and that the law will be enforced firmly against all those involved.

The named individuals referred to trial:

1. Rashed Omar Abdul Qader Ali
2. Mohammed Al Fath Mohammed Beik
3. Salah Abdallah Mohammed Saleh
4. Abdullah Khalafallah
5. Ahmed Rabie Sayed Ahmed Mohammed
6. Yasser Abdulrahman Hassan Al Atta
7. Othman Mohammed Al Zubair Mohammed
8. Maher Abduljalil Mohammed Abduljalil
9. Khaled Yousef Mukhtar Yousef
10. Ahmed Khalafallah Abdullah Ahmed
11. Mubarak Ali Al Sheikh Mohammed
12. Othman Bakr Ali Karrar
13. Musab Awad Al Karim Hassan Mohammed

The six companies referred to trial:

1. Rashed Omar Brokerage Company
2. Portex Trade Limited
3. Wardat Al Masarra Trading Company
4. Sudamina Company
5. Yellow Sand Trading Company
6. Apollara Electronics Trading Company