Iranian Woman Arrested in US Over Alleged Arms Trafficking to Sudan

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Los Angeles: US authorities have arrested an Iranian woman accused of trafficking weapons to Sudan on behalf of Iran, federal prosecutors said.

Shamim Mafi, 44, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday while allegedly preparing to board a flight to Turkey.

According to First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli, Mafi is accused of brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured in Iran and sold to Sudan.

Court documents allege the deals involved Sudan’s defence ministry, including a €60 million ($70 million) drone contract.

An FBI complaint said Mafi helped coordinate travel for a Sudanese delegation to Iran, received more than €6 million in payments and issued receipts linked to the drone deal.

She is also accused of submitting a letter of intent to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to broker the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses to Sudan.

Prosecutors said Mafi became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016 and is charged with violating US sanctions that prohibit unauthorized dealings in Iranian goods or services.

Authorities allege she used informal money transfer networks across multiple transactions in an effort to evade sanctions.

Mafi is expected to appear in court later Monday. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.

Sudan has been engulfed in civil war for the past three years between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, creating what the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.