US arrests 'yakuza chief' who sought missiles for Myanmar, Sri Lanka rebels

Ebisawa is believed to have sought to buy automatic weapons, rockets, machine guns and surface-to-air missiles for Myanmar's rebel forces. - AFP file photo

NEW YORK (AFP): US authorities said Thursday (April 7) that they had arrested a Japanese yakuza organised crime leader and three Thai men who trafficked heroin and methamphetamine and tried to acquire surface-to-air missiles for rebel groups in Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Takeshi Ebisawa, Sompak Rukrasaranee, Somphob Singhasiri and Suksan Jullanan were arrested in New York on Monday and Tuesday on drug and arms trafficking and money laundering charges, the Justice Department said.