Arms dealers sentenced to 32 years in jail

• Two men sentenced for illegally brokering the sale of fighter jets, missiles and assault rifles to conflict zones including Sudan, South Sudan and Libya.

• Surface-to-air missile systems, combat aircraft and AK-47 assault rifles were brokered for supply to countries without the required UK trade control licenses.

A British businessman has been jailed for 16 years after brokering illegal deals involving fighter jets and weapons destined for war zones including Sudan, South Sudan and Libya.

David Greenhalgh, 68, of Croydon, south London, helped broker the supply of ex-Soviet jets, surface-to-air missile systems, anti-tank missiles, thousands of assault rifles and other controlled goods between 2009 and 2016.

None of the deals were licensed by UK authorities and some ran into tens of millions of dollars, the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigation uncovered.

His business partner, Greek national Christos Farmakis, 48, was also sentenced to 16 years in jail after being found guilty of similar offences. Farmakis did not attend the trial and HMRC is working with international partners to bring him to the UK to face justice.

The pair acted as middlemen to arrange, transport and deliver weapons without the licences required under UK law.

To conceal the true destination of the weapons, they used forged end-user certificates falsely claiming the goods were destined for countries not subject to sanctions.

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."

Anja Hohmeyer, Specialist Prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

"Greenhalgh and Farmakis treated the international arms trade as their personal business opportunity – systematically sourcing weapons from former Soviet states and attempting to channel them into some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones, including Libya and South Sudan.

"They knew exactly what they were doing. Their own emails showed them discussing how to evade UK licencing controls, falsify end user certificates and disguise the true nature of their deals. One document found on Farmakis's device was nothing less than a blueprint for wholesale evasion of the UK's arms controls.

"This conviction sends a clear message: UK arms trafficking and brokering laws apply to anyone subject to this jurisdiction, wherever in the world they try to conduct their business. The CPS will not hesitate to prosecute those who seek to profit from conflict."

Greenhalgh and Farmakis operated at the centre of a complex international network, sourcing weapons and military equipment from defence ministries in former Soviet states and Soviet-aligned states.

Ageing stockpiles of missiles, fighter aircraft, battle tanks and small arms were available for sale in countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia and the Czech Republic.

Because many of their customers were countries desperate for equipment and banned from buying weapons on the open market, they were willing to pay vastly inflated prices.

Greenhalgh operated through his 'Airservices' group of companies, registered across multiple countries including the UK, Greece, North Macedonia and South Sudan.

He deliberately routed deals through his overseas subsidiaries in an attempt to place transactions beyond UK jurisdiction. As a UK national, he was still subject to UK trade controls wherever in the world he did business.

The men were found guilty at Southwark Crown Court on 11 June 2026 after a nine-week trial.

Notes to Editors

• David Greenhalgh, DOB 2/3/1958, of Fairfield Road, Croydon, London, was found guilty following trial at Southwark Crown Court on 11 June 2026 of counts 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, under the Export Control Order 2008 and was sentenced to 16 years in jail on 23 September 2026.
• Christos Farmakis, DOB 7/4/1978, a Greek national, was found guilty following trial in absentia at Southwark Crown Court on 11 June 2026 of counts 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 under the Export Control Order 2008 and was sentenced to 16 years in jail on 23 September 2026. His UK address is Clearwater Place, Long Ditton, Surbiton, Surrey, but is thought to be currently residing in Greece.
• The UK's export licencing regime is administered by the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU). Further information is available on GOV.UK.
• Follow HMRC's press office on X @HMRCpressoffice.