A fishing vessel carrying Iran’s lethal weapons. A Pakistani smuggler who known as himself a “strolling useless man.” And a US army operation within the Arabian Sea that stopped missile elements from reaching Houthi terrorists — however value two Navy SEALs their lives.
That is the story of Muhammad Pahlawan, the Pakistani arms trafficker who practically shifted the stability of energy within the Center East, till the US stopped him.
Muhammad Pahlawan, 49, has been sentenced to a staggering 40 years in a US jail after being convicted on 5 grave prices in a case that uncovered a high-stakes weapons-smuggling operation designed to arm Houthi militants in Yemen with ballistic missile parts from Iran. The Pakistani arms trafficker orchestrated a daring plot that used fishing boats to move a few of Iran’s most superior weapon techniques meant for terrorist teams.
The Fishing Vessel That Wasn’t What It Appeared
Pahlawan’s operation was devastatingly easy but dangerously efficient: disguise Iran’s deadliest weapons as harmless fishing cargo. Authorities revealed that Pahlawan used a seemingly harmless fishing vessel, the Yunus, to smuggle ballistic missile parts throughout the Arabian Sea. Based on US prosecution, Pahlawan’s crew posed as fishermen however had been “misled” into the operation, utterly unaware of the lethal cargo they had been carrying.
The crew had transported large, secretive packages from Chabahar, Iran, en path to their lethal vacation spot, Houthi-controlled Yemen. What appeared like a routine fishing expedition was truly a weapons pipeline that would have armed one of many world’s most harmful terrorist teams with the firepower to strike throughout the Center East.
Two Navy SEALs Paid The Final Worth
Pahlawan was apprehended throughout a covert US army operation within the Arabian Sea in January 2024, a mission that tragically claimed the lives of two Navy SEALs. These American heroes gave the whole lot to cease this lethal cargo from reaching terrorist palms. The seizure got here amid a interval when the Houthis had launched relentless missile and drone strikes towards Israel, claiming solidarity with Gaza.
Smuggler’s Chilling Confession
The trial uncovered chilling particulars that exposed the darkish world of worldwide arms trafficking. In textual content messages to his spouse, Pahlawan described himself as a “strolling useless particular person,” reflecting the immense private and operational dangers of his legal ventures. Even he knew the results of shifting Iran’s weapons to terrorists, but he did it anyway, for cash.
Pahlawan was paid 1.4 billion rials ($33,274) for his function as a part of a community orchestrated by Iranian siblings Yunus and Shahab Mir’kazei, who’ve alleged ties to the IRGC. For simply over $33,000, this Pakistani smuggler was prepared to arm terrorists with weapons of mass destruction.
Three Profitable Missions Earlier than America Caught Him
This wasn’t Pahlawan’s first rodeo. He had efficiently executed two earlier smuggling missions earlier than his seize, recruiting a dozen males from Pakistan underneath the guise of professional employment. These unsuspecting recruits thought they had been taking fishing jobs; as a substitute, they grew to become unwitting members in a world arms smuggling operation that threatened regional safety and armed Houthi terrorists hanging Israeli cities.
40 Years Behind Bars – Justice Delivered
Pahlawan has been convicted on a number of counts, together with terrorism and transportation of weapons of mass destruction. For 4 a long time, this arms trafficker will sit in a US jail cell, paying for his function in practically arming terrorists with Iran’s deadliest weapons.
(With ANI Inputs)