A British arms broker, 68-year-old David Greenhalgh, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for coordinating illegal arms deals between 2009 and 2016, including former Soviet surface-to-air missiles and other weaponry.

Greenhalgh and Greek national Christos Farmakis, 48, each received 16-year terms for arranging unlicensed transfers of former Soviet aircraft, surface-to-air and anti-tank missiles, and thousands of assault rifles destined for war zones such as Sudan, South Sudan, and Libya.

Prosecutor emphasized large-scale bribery and corruption as aggravating factors, noting Farmakis abused his role and used fake UK Trade & Investment credentials to bolster credibility.

HMRC stressed export licensing controls are designed to prevent misuse of military equipment and protect national security.

Investigations showed an international network of companies and forged credentials used to appear legitimate, with illegal activity continuing despite HMRC licensing warnings.

Offences spanned 2009–2016, involving unlicensed transfers to embargoed destinations; both defendants were found guilty of multiple counts for knowingly facilitating such transfers.

Evidence included forged end-user certificates and corrupt payments to officials to disguise destinations, enabling bypass of sanctions and licensing controls.

Judge described the defendants’ conduct as deliberate, sophisticated, and financially motivated, constituting a long-running criminal enterprise.

Farmakis used his job email at the Greater London Enterprise to privately arrange deals; a forwarded email helped authorities uncover plans to sell fighter jets and other arms to Libya after the 2011 Arab Spring.

Greenhalgh’s Airservices operations crossed several countries, with communications describing deals as “sensitive projects” to evade sanctions via overseas routing.

Farmakis fled the UK and was tried in absentia; Greenhalgh remained present for sentencing at Southwark Crown Court.

The plot targeted Iran, Iraq, and Syria in violation of embargoes, with Farmakis arrested in 2016 after email activity exposed the schemes.