Woman charged in US with trafficking arms to Sudan for Iranian government

Shamim Mafi, an Iranian national and US resident, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and charged with illegally brokering arms deals between Iran and Sudan. The US Department of Justice alleges Mafi facilitated the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and ammunition manufactured in Iran to Sudan's Ministry of Defence. Mafi and an unnamed co-conspirator allegedly operated a company in Oman called Atlas International Business to conduct these transactions, receiving over $7 million in payments. Court documents indicate Mafi submitted a letter of intent to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to purchase bomb fuses for Sudan. If convicted, Mafi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

An Iranian woman, Shamim Mafi, 44, was arrested at Los Angeles airport on Saturday on charges of trafficking arms to Sudan. According to federal prosecutors, Mafi allegedly brokered the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and ammunition manufactured by Iran to Sudan's defence ministry, including a €60m drone contract. The alleged sales were facilitated through a "Sudanese delegation's travel to Iran" and involved payments exceeding €6m. Mafi is expected to appear in court later on Monday. She became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in jail.

Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian national and US resident, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday. She is charged by US federal prosecutors with trafficking arms to Sudan on behalf of the Iranian government. The charges include brokering the sale of Iranian-manufactured drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition. Mafi became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016 and resides in Woodland Hills, California. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian national and US resident, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of arms trafficking. Federal prosecutors allege Mafi brokered the sale of weapons, including drones and ammunition, on behalf of the Iranian government to contacts in Africa, specifically Sudan. The deals, allegedly facilitated through her company Atlas International, involved Iranian-manufactured drones sold to Sudan's Ministry of Defense for over €60 million. Mafi reportedly earned millions coordinating these deals. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and is expected to appear in court in Los Angeles.

A Los Angeles woman, Shamim Mafi, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night on suspicion of brokering arms sales between Iran and Sudan. Mafi, an Iranian national and U.S. permanent resident, is accused of trafficking drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and ammunition to the Sudanese Armed Forces. According to a criminal complaint, Mafi and a co-conspirator operated a company in Oman, Atlas International Business, to facilitate the transactions, receiving over $7 million in payments. Mafi is also accused of submitting a letter of intent to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to purchase bomb fuses for Sudan. She is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Monday and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.