Trafficking in Arms—Asian Businessmen

Four Asian businessmen have allegedly “created a threat to national security by plotting to buy hundreds of handguns, machine guns, Sidewinder missiles and aviation radar equipment for export to Indonesia.”^[1] The men were arrested in Honolulu and Detroit on Sunday “after meeting in Hawaii with people they thought were representatives of a metro Detroit company, which authorities say the men believed would supply the military hardware.”^[2] The weapons were to be shipped to Indonesia via Singapore, and it is not clear from court filings “whether the men were buying the equipment for the Indonesian government or whether it was [a] sting operation.”^[3]

While US Attorney Ed Kubo declined to discuss specifics, “such as who would ultimately get the equipment and weapons,” he did say that “the case did not involve any plot to use the weapons for terrorism.”^[4]

In all, it seems that Mssrs. Djuliarso and Amran “tried to arrange the purchase of radar parts for military aircraft, 245 Sidewinder [heat-seeking] missiles, 882 Heckler & Koch [hereinafter H & K] MP5 submachine guns, 800 H & K 9mm handguns, 16 H & K sniper rifles and 5,000 rounds of strafing ammunition.”^[5]

The Detroit indictments involve Hadianto Djoko Djuliarso of Indonesia, and Ibrahim Bin Amran, of Singapore, who were charged last week for conspiring to violate the US Arms Export Control Act [hereinafter AECA] and for money laundering.^[6] The Hawaii indictments involve Ignatius Ferdninandus Soeharli, a/k/a “Igna,” and David Beecroft, who were charged on Monday for conspiring to violate the AECA.^[7] Mssrs. Djuliarso and Amran are the owners of four companies, Mr. Soeharli was identified as the financier, and Mr. Beecroft was identified as the man who would arrange the shipments and “keep [Mr.] Amran out of trouble.”^[8] All four were arrested in Hawaii, but Mssrs. Djuliarso and Amran are expected to be transferred to Michigan, and a hearing on that request is scheduled for Thursday.^[9]

We previously discussed arms trafficking in February, in November, and in October.

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[1] Asian Businessmen Held in Plot to Ship Weapons, Associated Press (via Jakarta Post), Apr. 12, 2006.
[2] David Ashenfelter, 4 Held in Plot to Ship Weapons, Detroit Free Press, Apr. 12, 2006.
[3] Id.
[4] Ken Kobayashi, Four Jailed in Alleged Arms Conspiracy, Honolulu Advertiser, Apr. 12, 2006.
[5] Ashenfelter, supra note 2.
[6] Id.
[7] Id.
[8] Ashenfelter, supra note 2.
[9] Id.