Weapons smuggler jailed for 40 years after shipping ballistic missiles from Iran

A Pakistani national has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of smuggling ballistic missile parts from Iran to Houthi rebels in Yemen. Muhammad Pahlawan, 49, was convicted on five counts including terrorism offences and transporting weapons of mass destruction.

The operation was part of a larger scheme funded and co-ordinated by two Iranian brothers, Yunus and Shahab Mir'kazei, who are allegedly affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC is designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US. Both men have been charged but are still at large and believed to be in Iran.

Pahlawan used a fishing boat to transport the packages from Chabahar on Iran's south coast to the Arabian Sea, where they were transferred to another ship bound for Somalia. The crew, who were all from Pakistan, claimed they had no idea what was inside the packages and were only told that they were working as fishermen.

The US Navy discovered the cargo on board the boat, which included Iranian-made ballistic missile parts, anti-ship cruise missile components, and a warhead. This was the first time US forces had seized such arms from Iran.

The operation is part of a broader issue of smuggling of weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen. Between 2015 and 2023, almost 2.4 million pieces of ammunition, 365 anti-tank guided missiles, and more than 29,000 small arms and light weapons were seized by US forces from small boats in the Arabian Sea.

Shipping companies have been forced to change their routes due to the increased risk of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. The UN has accused Iran of smuggling arms to the Houthis but Tehran denies any involvement.

Pahlawan's sentence is seen as a significant blow to Iranian-backed terrorism and marks a major victory for US authorities in their efforts to disrupt arms smuggling operations.

40 years in prison seems kinda harsh for just doing what he was told, you know? Like, if he really didn't know what the packages were or had no idea they were part of something bigger... might be more reasonable to get a lighter sentence, especially considering the whole 'I was just a fisherman' vibe from his crew .

I dont think 40 yrs is fair, Pahlawan was just a poor fisherman who got caught up in somethin he didnt know about, he shd get somethin less serious, like community service or somethin... The US Navy is just doin the job of the Iran gov't, they r the ones smugglin these arms to the Houthi rebels. Its time for them to take responsiblity

I'm really worried about all these countries getting involved with each other's affairs... like, what's next? Are we gonna have a global arms trade? I mean, who needs that kind of drama? The fact that two Iranian brothers were able to pull off this scheme without getting caught for so long is just crazy. It's like they knew the system inside out... or something. And now this poor Pakistani guy is stuck with a 40-year sentence for not knowing what was in those boxes. It's all just a big mess, if you ask me .

this feels like just another example of how complex international relations can get, right? it's crazy that people are still trying to smuggle ballistic missile parts around the world. i mean, what's the point of all this? and on a related note, why do shipping companies have to change their routes because of these smuggling operations? doesn't that just increase costs for them? also, it's wild that two Iranian brothers are still at large while one of their accomplices gets 40 years in prison... seems like there's a lot more to this story than we know

this whole thing just sounds super dodgy, you know? like, who else is behind the scenes trying to move all these ballistic missile parts around? the fact that pahlawan was claiming he didn't know what was in the packages kinda raises some suspicions... and let's be real, a 40 year sentence for one guy doesn't exactly send a strong message about how serious things are. but at the same time, i get why the us navy would want to act on this - it's not like they can just sit back and let iran keep supplying arms to houthi rebels.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, you know? Like, how do people even get involved in these global trafficking rings? I mean, I get it, the IRGC is accused of funding and coordinating these ops, but what's going on with all the corruption and money laundering? It's like, a big web of deceit. And to think Pahlawan thought he was just fishing, haha! Poor dude. 40 years in prison is definitely a harsh sentence, but I guess it's a necessary evil. The US needs to keep these arms smuggling operations under wraps, considering the Red Sea is basically a war zone now

**Concerning Arms Smuggling: A Complex Issue**

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that someone was able to smuggle all those ballistic missile parts out of Iran and into Yemen without getting caught until now . It's a huge concern, not just for regional stability but also for global security.

The involvement of two Iranian brothers and their alleged ties to the IRGC makes this even more complicated. The fact that they're still at large is worrying and suggests that there are still plenty of people willing to engage in this kind of activity.

What's also interesting (and a bit disturbing) is how far-reaching this smuggling operation was - from Somalia to Yemen, with multiple shipments over several years. It highlights the vulnerabilities in global shipping routes and the need for more effective cooperation between countries to combat arms trafficking.

The US Navy's role in intercepting these shipments is a big deal, and it shows that they're taking this issue seriously. The fact that almost 2.4 million pieces of ammunition were seized just from 2015 to 2023 adds up to a significant problem.

I'm not sure what the long-term implications of Pahlawan's sentence will be, but I hope it marks the beginning of some real progress in disrupting arms smuggling operations and keeping our global community safer .

I'm not sure about sentencing someone to 40 years in prison, it feels like an awful lot of time. I mean, we don't even know if he was fully aware of what the packages were or how they got there. The fishing boat crew said they had no idea and just did their job. It's a complex situation, but do we really need to punish someone so harshly?

On one hand, it's good that the US was able to catch the smugglers and stop them from getting arms to the Houthis. It is a big deal for the region's stability. And I get why we want to disrupt arms smuggling operations. But 40 years feels like overkill. Maybe something less severe would have been more fitting?

ugh this is just so sad pahlawan's situation is heartbreaking, i can only imagine how scared he must have been to be caught up in all of this... 40 years is such a long time, it feels like his whole life is being taken away from him... what was he thinking to get involved with something so dangerous? and poor crew, they were just trying to make a living and end up getting entangled in all of this...

Man, this whole thing just goes to show how far-reaching the effects of terrorism can be . I mean, think about it, one guy gets caught up in smuggling parts for some rebel group and next thing you know, he's facing 40 years in prison. It's a harsh reality check, but also a reminder that we're all connected in ways we don't even realize.

It's wild to see how these operations can span entire regions, from Iran to Yemen to Somalia . And it just goes to show how much of a risk shipping companies are taking by just doing their job. It's like, they're not even breaking any laws, but they become pawns in the game.

What really gets me is that these arms smuggling operations are often carried out under the guise of innocent cargo . The crew on Pahlawan's boat didn't know what was inside those packages, and yet they got caught up in it anyway. It's a sobering reminder to always question our surroundings and be mindful of the company we keep.

Anyway, this whole thing just highlights how important cooperation is between countries . I mean, if we're all working together, we can stop these kinds of operations from taking off in the first place.

I'm still not getting why they need to make it so hard to track shipments from Iran . I mean, come on! They know who's behind this stuff and yet we still have to deal with the consequences . And what's up with the fishing boat thing? How do you just happen to have a cargo of ballistic missile parts on board a fishing trip? It's like something out of a bad action movie.

And don't even get me started on the whole shipping company route change thing . Like, seriously? Can't they just use GPS and stuff like everyone else? It's just so frustrating when we have to deal with the fallout from all this smuggling nonsense .

40 years in prison? That's some harsh punishment, especially considering it was just a fishing boat ride . I mean, what were the chances he knew what was inside those packages? It sounds like the crew was genuinely clueless . But still, you've got to wonder how this operation went down and who exactly was behind it... was it really just two brothers with ties to Iran or is there more to the story?

omg, this is so crazy , like, someone gets caught trying to smuggle missiles to rebels in Yemen and he only does it because he was told his job as a fisherman ? i mean, that's just so not cool, and 40 years is like, a pretty harsh sentence, you feel? but at the same time, the us needs to protect its interests and people's lives are at stake, so yeah, maybe it's good they caught him and his crew.

so what happens next with these iranian brothers, yunus and shahab? do they ever get caught or is it just a game of cat and mouse for them? also, how much longer can the us keep putting pressure on iran without things getting outta hand?

40 years in prison seems kinda harsh, don't you think? I mean, the guy was just a fishing boat captain who got coerced into transporting packages by two Iranian brothers... Still, you gotta respect the law and all that. And yeah, it's a big win for US authorities to catch those arms smuggling ops in the Red Sea – 2.4 million pieces of ammo is no joke! But, I wonder if we should be focusing on solving this bigger problem instead of just putting one guy behind bars...

this case is wild, I mean 40 years in prison is like, forever . It's crazy how one guy can be involved in smuggling such big deal items like ballistic missile parts . And the fact that he was using a fishing boat to do it, that's just genius on the part of whoever planned the operation.

But what's even more interesting is the whole network behind this guy, Yunus and Shahab Mir'kazei, they're like the masterminds . If they get caught, that would be a huge blow to Iranian-backed terrorism, but since they're still at large, it's hard to know if that'll actually happen .

It's also wild how US forces have been seizing these arms shipments from Iran and Yemen in recent years . It just goes to show how global this whole thing is, and how one country can affect the whole region .

omg this guy's gonna spend like 40 yrs in prison lol its a pretty big sentence i guess you could say it was worth it though if it means stopping some bad people from getting super powerful missiles the way this went down tho is wild he said he had no idea what was in the packages but still managed to get caught on a fishing boat i mean, can u even imagine just cruising along and suddenly finding out you're smuggling arms for terrorists anyway, glad the US Navy was able to catch that cargo and now these Iranian brothers are still on the run

Ugh, this whole thing just smells like another example of how we're playing into the hands of these arms dealers . I mean, can't they see that these kinds of deals are gonna keep fueling more conflict and bloodshed? And what's with all these Iranian brothers running around, supposedly affiliated with the IRGC? That's just too convenient . And let's be real, we're not even talking about the impact on Somalia here - do we really know what kind of 'fishing' was going on in that part of the world?