9-1-2025 (MANHATTAN) A prominent Japanese organised crime figure has entered a guilty plea for attempting to traffic nuclear materials from Myanmar, alongside charges of international drug trafficking and weapons offences.
Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, appeared before a Manhattan court on Wednesday to acknowledge his role in a complex criminal enterprise that sought to trade in uranium and weapons-grade plutonium. The case marks a rare intersection of organised crime and nuclear material trafficking, highlighting concerns about the security of nuclear materials in Southeast Asia.
According to the US Department of Justice, Ebisawa, a known yakuza leader, orchestrated a scheme to source nuclear materials from Myanmar with the alleged intention of supplying them to Iran. The plot, which was ultimately foiled through multinational law enforcement cooperation, also involved significant quantities of heroin and methamphetamine destined for American shores.
Acting US Attorney Edward Kim emphasised the gravity of Ebisawa’s admitted crimes, stating that the defendant had attempted to establish a dangerous nexus between nuclear material trafficking and conventional criminal enterprises. The yakuza boss had sought to exchange narcotics for sophisticated weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, whilst simultaneously engaging in money laundering operations between New York and Tokyo.
The successful prosecution resulted from a coordinated effort involving law enforcement agencies across four nations – the United States, Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand. This international collaboration proved crucial in dismantling what authorities describe as a sophisticated criminal network operating across multiple Asian nations.
This case represents a significant victory for international law enforcement in their ongoing battle against nuclear proliferation and organised crime. Ebisawa’s guilty plea encompasses charges initially brought in 2022 for narcotics and firearms offences, as well as the more recent nuclear trafficking charges from February 2024.
