LONDON — British businessman David Greenhalgh, 68, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in arranging illegal arms deals involving conflict zones in South Sudan, Sudan and Libya.
Greenhalgh was convicted of 10 offences involving the unlicensed supply of controlled military equipment between 2009 and 2016. The deals included fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missile systems, anti-tank missiles, AK-47 rifles, battle tanks and large quantities of ammunition.
According to UK prosecutors, Greenhalgh and his business associate attempted to circumvent British export controls by using overseas companies and false or misleading end-user documents to conceal the intended destinations of military equipment.
One of the transactions involved an S-125 Pechora surface-to-air missile system that prosecutors said was supplied to South Sudan. Other planned deals involved fighter jets, military helicopters, tanks and additional weapons.
The case also included proposed arms transactions linked to Libya following the outbreak of conflict there in 2011. Prosecutors said the men also pursued weapons deals involving other countries in the Middle East.
Greenhalgh’s Greek business associate, Christos Farmakis, 48, was also sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of similar offences. Farmakis was tried and sentenced in his absence and is believed to be outside the UK.
The case was investigated by HM Revenue and Customs and prosecuted at Southwark Crown Court. Both men were convicted following a nine-week trial and sentenced in September 2026.
The convictions highlight the UK’s efforts to enforce restrictions on the international brokering and export of military equipment, including transactions arranged through companies and intermediaries outside Britain.
