An arms dealer from Croydon has been found guilty of brokering illegal weapon deals of fighter jets and weapons destined for war zones.
David Greenhalgh, 68, of Fairfield Road, helped deal the supply of ex-Soviet jets, missile systems, and thousands of assault riffles and other controlled goods between 2009 and 2016.
None of the deals brokered by the Croydon man were licensed by UK authorities, and some ran into tens of millions of dollars.
These weapons were destined for war zones including Sudan, South Sudan, and Libya.
Christos Farmakis, his business partner, was also found guilty of similar offences.
The 48-year-old Greek national did not attend the trial, and HM Revenue & Customs is working with international partners to bring him to the UK to face justice.
According to HMRC, the pair acted as middlemen to arrange, transport, and deliver weapons without the licenses required under UK law.
To hide its true destination, they used forged certificates to claim the goods were destined for countries not subject to sanctions.
Both men were found guilty at Southwark Crown Court today (June 11) after a nine-week trial.
They will be sentenced on July 22.
Edwige Hill, deputy director in HMRC’s fraud investigations service, said: "Greenhalgh and Farmakis showed a blatant disregard for international sanctions, seeking to profit from the illegal supply of weapons.
"These convictions are a clear warning to others that you will face justice for breaching the UK’s strict controls and brokering illegal supplies to sanctioned and embargoed destinations."
