
NEW YORK -- A yakuza leader and three Thai associates have been arrested in New York for allegedly conspiring to obtain surface-to-air missiles for groups in Myanmar using narcotics as a payment, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
A Drug Enforcement Administration investigation led to the arrest of Takeshi Ebisawa of Japan, dual U.S.-Thai citizen Suksan Jullanan and Sompak Rukrasaranee of Thailand on April 4. Somphop Singhasiri of Thailand was arrested on April 5.