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Who is Takeshi Ebisawa? Yakuza boss busted while trying to buy stolen US weapons for Myanmar

The crime kingpin was busted in New York by undercover DEA agents after he attempted to buy weapons stolen from US bases in Afghanistan
UPDATED APR 8, 2022
Takeshi Ebisawa (US Department of Justice)
Takeshi Ebisawa (US Department of Justice)

A Japanese crime boss was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the first week of April 2022, after he attempted to buy US weapons. According to a press release, Takeshi Ebisawa was attempting to buy surface-to-air missiles stolen from Afghan bases, and sell them to militias in Myanmar in return for meth and heroin, which he then planned to distribute on the streets of New York City. 

The arrest throws light on the complex network of backchannels used to buy and sell weapons, as well as drugs. As we reported back in July 2021, Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan was abandoned with millions of dollars worth of goods left behind, from laptops and basketballs to armored personnel carriers and even helicopters. While the Taliban did take over some of the equipment, it appears others have since found their way around the world to conflict zones

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Evidence taken from Ebisawa's phone shows how he planned to fund the conflict in Maynmar further, by selling a lost list of weapons, for over 2,000 pounds of meth and heroin. He was held along with several others in a series of busts made on April 4 and 5, 2022. 

Who is Takeshi Ebisawa?

The 57-year-old Japanese national is a leader in the feared Yakuza, the Japanese crime syndicate. He was believed to be leading a multi-national operation when he was busted. The US Department of Justice called him a "big player" in weapons and drug trafficking. Beyond that, little information is available about Ebisawa, who has been under investigation since 2019. Ebisawa was busted along with three Thai associates, after undercover agents attended a series of meetings, in the US, Japan, Denmark, and Thailand. 

To nab him, the DEA played the role of the middleman, facilitating the transaction between Ebisawa and the insurgent groups in Myanmar. Things worked so well, he was even snapped with one of the rocket launchers, which was used in court filings. After three years of secret meetings, he was finally cuffed at Morton’s Steakhouse in Manhattan on April 4. The US Attorney's Office noted he indicated to sell a large list of weapons the US left behind in Afghanistan, including firearms, explosives, and rockets. 

A screenshot from Takeshi Ebisawa's WhatsApp showing the full list of weapons he planned to sell. (US Department of Justice)

In return, the groups would have paid Ebisawa with 500 kilos (1,102 pounds) of meth and heroin, smuggled in rice and noodle boxes to be distributed in New York. "These arrests represent the unwavering determination of the DEA, together with our U.S. and international partners, to target and bring to justice violent criminals who lead transnational drug trafficking organizations that continue to flood our country with dangerous drugs," The DoJ's press release said. 

The crime boss is now facing a long list of charges, including narcotics importation conspiracy, conspiracy to acquire, transfer and possess surface-to-air missiles, and money laundering. The money laundering charge was added after it was found Ebisawa worked to launder $100,000 in purported narcotics proceeds. He faces life in prison if convicted, as do his three associates who were all busted on similar charges. 

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