美国司法部宣布指控两名伊朗兄弟和一名巴基斯坦船长与2024年1月在索马里海岸缴获的导弹走私行动有关。

伊朗国民Shahab和Yunus Mir'kazei以及巴基斯坦单桅帆船船长Muhammad Pahlawan涉嫌协助向也门运送先进武器，包括最近胡塞叛军袭击中使用的导弹部件。

根据指控，Mir 'kazei兄弟组成了一个走私网络，Pahlawan多次从伊朗前往也门。

这些任务本应转移弹道导弹和反舰导弹的关键部件，这些导弹与在红海对商船的袭击有关，袭击还造成了多人伤亡。

目前被美国拘留的Pahlawan进行了三次这样的旅行，最后一次以他的单桅帆船被美国海军海豹突击队和海岸警卫队拦截而告终。

在这次行动中，当单桅帆船接近索马里海岸时，据说Pahlawan指示船员烧毁船只并隐藏他的身份。

尽管如此，登船小组还是发现了许多导弹部件，包括制导系统和雷达组件。

这些物品的查获与之前查明的从伊朗向也门贩运武器的模式相吻合。这次行动还夺去了两名海豹突击队队员的生命，他们从船上落水，后来被宣布死亡。

Shahab和Yunus Mir 'kazei与Pahlawan一起被指控向恐怖分子提供物质援助，造成人员伤亡，并密谋对海上航行实施暴力。

Pahlawan还面临操纵证据和向执法部门作虚假陈述的指控。如果罪名成立，他们可能面临终身监禁。

三名船员Mazhar Mohammad、Ghufran Ullah和Izhar Muhammad也被指控向当局提供误导性数据。虽然这些船员和Pahlawan被美国拘留，但Mir'kazei兄弟仍然自由，并被怀疑在伊朗。

这些指控揭露了Mir'kazei兄弟与伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队(Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps)的关系，以及Pahlawan在经营米尔卡泽伊(Shahab Mir ' kazei)拥有的一艘走私船中的作用。

助理司法部长Matthew G.Olsen、美国检察官Jessica D.Aber和联邦调查局执行助理主任Robert Wells宣布了这一消息。美国助理检察官Troy A.Edwards Jr.和Gavin R.Tisdale以及审判律师Lesley Woods正在领导起诉。

▲Image Credits: US Central Command/X

▲Image Credits: US Central Command/X

▲Image Credits: US Central Command/X

英文原文

The United States Department of Justice has announced charges against two Iranian brothers and a Pakistani captain in connection with a missile smuggling operation seized off the coast of Somalia in January 2024.



Shahab and Yunus Mir’kazei, Iranian nationals, along with Pakistani dhow captain Muhammad Pahlawan, are suspected of facilitating the shipment of advanced weaponry to Yemen, including missile components used in recent Houthi rebel attacks.



According to the charges, the Mir’kazei brothers formed a smuggling network in which Pahlawan made several journeys from Iran to Yemen.



These missions were supposed to transfer crucial components for ballistic and anti-ship missiles, which have been linked to attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea that have also resulted in several casualties.



Pahlawan, currently in US custody, made three such journeys, the last of which ended with his dhow being intercepted by US Navy SEALs and Coast Guard officers.



During this operation, as the dhow approached the Somali coast, Pahlawan is said to have instructed the crew to burn the vessel and hide his identity.



Despite all of this, the boarding team discovered numerous missile components, including guidance systems and radar assemblies.



The seizure of these items coincided with previously identified patterns of weaponry trafficking from Iran to Yemen.  The mission also claimed the lives of two Navy SEALs, who fell overboard and were later declared dead.



Shahab and Yunus Mir’kazei, together with Pahlawan, are charged with providing material assistance to terrorists that resulted in casualties and conspiring to commit violence against maritime navigation.



Pahlawan also faces allegations of manipulating evidence and making false statements to law enforcement.  If convicted, they could face life sentences.



Three crew members- Mazhar Mohammad, Ghufran Ullah, and Izhar Muhammad are also charged with supplying misleading data to authorities.  While these crew members and Pahlawan are in US custody, the Mir’kazei brothers are still free and suspected to be in Iran.



The charges reveal the Mir’kazei brothers’ involvement with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as Pahlawan’s role in operating a smuggling vessel owned by Shahab Mir’kazei.



Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, United States Attorney Jessica D. Aber, and FBI Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells made the announcement.  Assistant US Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale and Trial Attorney Lesley Woods are leading the prosecution.

免责申明：本文根据US Department of Justice等内容整理，如有误差，以英文为准；仅代表作者观点，不代表中国海员之家立场。其真实性及原创性未能得到中国海员之家证实，在此感谢原作者的辛苦创作，如转载涉及版权等问题，请作者与我们联系，我们将在第一时间处理，谢谢！联系邮箱：cnisu@54seaman.com