Rhino: Agencies – Recently declassified U.S. court documents have revealed details of a wide-ranging investigation into a complex international arms smuggling network involving parties and companies from several countries, with Turkey emerging as a pivotal transit point in operations suspected of involving financial transfers and logistics routes linked to Iran.

According to an indictment issued by a federal court in California, the investigation points to the existence of an organized system for supplying military equipment, including drones, ammunition, and components used in the manufacture of explosive devices, with some of these supplies reaching military entities in Sudan.

The indictment, which spans dozens of pages, accuses an Iranian citizen named Shamin Mafi of violating U.S. sanctions by acting as an intermediary in arms deals that allegedly linked entities affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Logistics Support to other military parties outside the country.

The case documents indicate that the money transfers associated with this network did not rely on a single channel but were routed through multiple currency exchange companies and commercial entities, with Turkey serving as a hub for redistributing payments and financial transactions related to the arms deals.

A statement issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation also indicated that part of the financial activity within this network took place through the banking sector, currency exchange companies, and the private sector in Turkey, which, according to the investigation, allowed funds to be transferred between various parties despite international restrictions and sanctions.