David Greenhalgh, 68, and Christos Farmakis, 48, were found guilty of brokering the supply of weapons, including fighter jets and surface-to-air missile systems, to multiple international warzones
Two men have been convicted in a UK court of attempting to send an arsenal of deadly weapons to conflict zones including Iran, Sudan and Libya.
David Greenhalgh, 68, and Christos Farmakis, 48, were found guilty of brokering the supply of weapons such as fighter jets and battle tanks from Eastern European countries to several international warzones.
Surface-to-air missile systems capable of bringing down aircraft, combat helicopter gunships, anti-tank missile launchers and rocket propelled grenades were also among the weapons the two men tried to sent to countries under UK arms embargoes at the time.
British businessman Greenhalgh and Greek national Farmakis were both found guilty of eight counts of illegal arms trafficking at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.
Greenhalgh was convicted of two additional offences, while Farmakis, who was tried in his absence, was found guilty of one more.
Between July 2009 and December 2016, the pair attempted to broker the supply of weapons to countries subject to UK arms embargoes. According to HMRC, some of the deals were worth tens of millions of dollars, with buyers “desperate for equipment” and “willing to pay vastly inflated prices”.
The weapons were sourced from countries including Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia and the Czech Republic.
According to emails presented in court, Greenhalgh discussed a proposed deal to supply 100,000 AK-47 rifles to South Sudan, writing that “Iraq/Syria is hoovering up every piece of small arms in market” and warning a contact that “Europe WILL NOT accept your paperwork. You will need support from other Brothers.”
The pair also discussed forging documents and routing deliveries through third countries to conceal the weapons’ final destinations.
The Crown Prosecution Service said London-based business adviser Farmakis carried out negotiations through a Cyprus-registered company called Black Betty Consulting.
Greenhalgh, from Croydon, was the owner and controlling director of the Airservices group of companies, which operated internationally in locations including the UK, Greece, Macedonia, Hong Kong and South Sudan. Prosecutors said he used the network to try to hide his dealings from UK authorities.
HMRC said that although the deals took place outside UK jurisdiction, Greenhalgh remained subject to UK trade controls as a British national.
Edwige Hill, Deputy Director in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said the pair “showed a blatant disregard for international sanctions, seeking to profit from the illegal supply of weapons”.
CPS prosecutor Anja Hohmeyer added that the agency “will not hesitate to prosecute those who seek to profit from conflict”.
Greenhalgh and Farmakis will be sentenced on 22 July.
