Canadian intelligence officers visit Quebec company after sniper rifles turn up in Russia

Canadian intelligence officers visited a Quebec firearms producer after its sniper rifles turned up in Russia, based on the corporate’s president.

The Canadian Safety Intelligence Service (CSIS) met with Cadex Defence about Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions, Serge Dextraze informed International Information.

The briefing came about after Global News reported in October that social media posts confirmed Cadex rifles on the market in Moscow and within the arms of Russian snipers.

Whereas among the Canadian-made weapons appeared to have been captured from Ukrainian forces, others regarded model new and nonetheless had their product tags.

Sanctions imposed in response to President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine banned the export of weapons to Russia.

Based mostly south of Montreal, Cadex provides navy and regulation enforcement businesses worldwide. Dextraze mentioned the corporate did not export its products to Russia.

CSIS mentioned it had been working with producers and exporters to stop Russia from buying Canadian items.

“With elevated consciousness of this illicit exercise, Canadian firms are higher enabled to proactively vet clients themselves,” a spokesperson mentioned.

CSIS wouldn’t remark additional, however its Could 1 annual report mentioned Russia was making an attempt to “illicitly procure export managed and sanctioned know-how from the West, together with Canada.”

Russian procurement efforts are centered on supplies required “to maintain its military-industrial advanced and assist its warfare towards Ukraine,” CSIS wrote.

“Particularly, Russia sought to obtain Canadian know-how, akin to microelectronics, satellite tv for pc communication know-how, and precision firearms.”

The report mentioned CSIS had assisted Canadian firms so they may “establish how Canadian items had been being acquired and shipped to Russia.”

Dextraze confirmed in a telephone name with International Information that CSIS had met along with his firm a number of occasions to debate the matter.

The intelligence officers “verified that we have now carried out every little thing within the good method,” but additionally used the go to as a possibility to help the corporate, he mentioned.

He mentioned the CSIS officers had been “sharing their information with the individuals who had safety clearance … How can we concentrate on issues that we’re not conscious of?”

“They did give some assist, and the recommendation that they gave us, we’re not allowed initially to repeat as a result of it’s below excessive confidentiality,” he mentioned.

“And so they informed us to take care of, truly, fairly a low profile on the methodology that they’ve proposed to us. However on the finish of the day, we already had good programs.”

“You’re coping with an excellent large nation that in the event that they resolve they need to disturb your economic system, they’re succesful to do it, and so they have all of the difficult methods to do it,” he added.

Whereas the corporate’s programs had been already “fairly good … now we’ll simply get one step higher,” Dextraze mentioned. “Let’s simply say it’s behind us now.”

Russia has confronted widespread sanctions because it invaded neighbouring Ukraine. The measures are an try and isolate Putin and undermine his warfare effort.

However American, European and Canadian firearms have nonetheless appeared in Russia.

In March, a U.S. courtroom convicted an Italian of a scheme that shipped ammunition to Kyrgyzstan. From there, it was moved to Russia to assist the warfare in Ukraine.

Greater than two dozen Cadex rifles are featured on the web site of a Moscow gun retailer, which lists them as “in inventory” and contains hyperlinks to “place your order.”

Photographs and movies on social media sites additionally present Russian snipers, some credited with dozens of kills in Ukraine, firing Cadex rifles.

After International Information reported on the issue final October, International Minister Anita Anand told reporters she was wanting into the matter.

Greater than six months later, the federal government has not responded to a request from International Information below the Entry to Data Act to launch paperwork associated to the probe.

Requested what had resulted from Anand’s evaluate, a International Affairs Canada spokesperson launched an announcement that didn’t reply the query.

The assertion mentioned there had been no “direct-to-Russia exports of arms” from Canada since 2015, and no components had gone to the nation since 2020.

“We’re conscious of great gross sales of weapons to Ukraine, by Canada and different international locations, which might be taken by the Russian navy on the battlefield,” it mentioned.

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca

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