Kamal Ghorui
A 44-year-old Iranian businesswoman with a life split between luxury travel and alleged covert deals is now at the centre of a serious US federal case.Authorities say Shamim Mafi was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night for allegedly trafficking arms on behalf of the Iranian government.According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Mafi is a Woodland Hills resident and is accused of brokering deals involving Iranian-made drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition that were reportedly destined for Sudan. The case has been filed under a violation which relates to sanctions and prohibited foreign transactions.
In a statement posted on X, US Attorney Bill Essayli said: “Last night, Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.”If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.Investigators allege that Mafi used an Oman-registered company, Atlas International Business, to facilitate the deals, some of which reportedly continued as recently as 2025. Among the transactions cited in court documents is a contract worth more than $70 million for Mohajer-6 armed drones, manufactured by Iran’s ministry of defence and Armed Forces Logistics.The drones, along with tens of thousands of bomb fuses, were allegedly supplied to Sudan’s ministry of defence, which has been engaged in a violent civil conflict since 2023.Authorities also claim that phone records show Mafi was in direct contact with Iran’s ministry of intelligence and security between December 2022 and June 2025. Prosecutors say she did not have the legal authorisation required to conduct such transactions.Mafi is an Iranian national who left her homeland in 2013 and became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016. Despite the allegations, her public image appeared different. She frequently shared photographs of a luxurious lifestyle on social media, including images of international travel and posing with an expensive Mercedes-Benz roadster.She is expected to appear in a Los Angeles court on Monday afternoon for her initial hearing.
