A Japanese mafia boss has been charged with an attempt to traffic nuclear material to Iran.
US prosecutors said Takeshi Ebisawa tried to transfer uranium and plutonium to Iran to be used in making the nuclear bomb.
Mr. Ebisawa is currently being held in a Brooklyn jail over weapons and drug charges in April 2022.
Undercover DEA Contacted Ebisawa
According to the US Department of Justice, the suspect was contacted by an undercover agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration to confirm the suspect had access to bomb-grade nuclear material.
Mr. Ebisawa showed samples of nuclear materials in Thailand and asked the agent to find a suitable buyer.
Agent Agreed To Sell It To Iran
The US Department of Justice said the agent told Mr. Ebisawa that an Iranian general was interested in buying the nuclear material as they needed it to make a bomb.
“If produced (plutonium ) in sufficient quantities, [it] would be suitable for use in a nuclear weapon,” the indictment noted.
