Iranian national arrested in US for alleged arms trafficking to Sudan
via Punch Nigeria1 min read
US federal prosecutors announced the arrest of Shamim Mafi, an Iranian national, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday. Mafi, 44, a lawful permanent resident of the United States since 2016, is accused of brokering the sale of Iranian-manufactured drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition to Sudan. She was arrested on Saturday and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted. The arrest comes as the United Nations warns of Sudan's risk of full-scale famine and collapse, with the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces RSF entering its fourth year. The UN Sudan chief, Denise Brown, stated that Sudan faces the world's largest humanitarian crisis, partly due to external weapons. The UN has urged foreign powers to cease fueling the conflict. The Sudanese army has reportedly received support from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and has used Turkish and Iranian-made drones. The United Arab Emirates has been accused of supplying arms to the RSF, an accusation it denies.
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