David Greenhalgh, 68, of Fairfield Road, Croydon, was sentenced to 16 years in prison at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, September 23, after being found guilty of multiple offences under the Export Control Order 2008. His co-defendant, Christos Farmakis, 48, a Greek national, also received a 16-year sentence but was not present in court, having fled the UK after being granted bail.
Arms deals spanning seven years
The pair acted as arms brokers between 2009 and 2016, arranging deals involving surface-to-air missile systems, combat aircraft, AK-47 assault rifles, missiles, tanks and ammunition. The intended destinations included Sudan, South Sudan and Libya.
Judge Sally-Ann Hales KC described the offending as "deliberate, sophisticated and motivated by financial gain" and noted that it had continued for seven years.
$200 million missile system transaction
The court heard that one successful deal involved supplying a Soviet-era Pechora S-125 surface-to-air missile system and radar equipment from Ukraine to Sudan. The transaction was worth around 200 million US dollars, with the equipment having been purchased for about 73 million dollars.
To conceal the true destination of the weapons, forged end-user certificates were used, and deals were routed through overseas companies. Judge Hales said the pair knowingly sought to evade UK licensing controls despite receiving warnings that their activities required authorisation. She also found that false end-user certificates had been routinely obtained through corrupt payments to public officials.
Background and legal consequences
Greenhalgh, who had no previous convictions, was described as an experienced international businessman who had built successful overseas ventures before becoming involved in the illegal arms trade. Following the sentencing, confiscation proceedings will now begin.
Edwige Hill, deputy director in HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service, said: "Strict export licencing controls exist to protect the UK and to ensure that military equipment does not fall into the wrong hands. Greenhalgh knowingly and repeatedly circumvented those controls, forging documents and routing deals through overseas companies to evade detection. This sentence reflects the seriousness of these offences and shows we will pursue anyone who undermines the UK's export control regime."
