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

Canadian intelligence officers visited a Quebec firearms shaper aft its sniper rifles turned up successful Russia, according to the company’s president.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) met pinch Cadex Defence about Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions, Serge Dextraze told BERITAJA.

The briefing took spot aft BERITAJA reported successful October that societal media posts showed Cadex rifles for waste successful Moscow and successful the hands of Russian snipers.

While immoderate of the Canadian-made guns appeared to person been captured from Ukrainian forces, others looked marque caller and still had their merchandise tags.

Sanctions imposed successful consequence to President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 full-scale penetration of Ukraine banned the export of weapons to Russia.

Based southbound of Montreal, Cadex supplies subject and rule enforcement agencies worldwide. Dextraze said the institution did not export its products to Russia.

CSIS said it had been moving pinch manufacturers and exporters to forestall Russia from acquiring Canadian goods.

“With accrued consciousness of this illicit activity, Canadian companies are amended enabled to proactively vet customers themselves,” a spokesperson said.

CSIS would not remark further, but its May 1 annual report said Russia was attempting to “illicitly procure export controlled and sanctioned exertion from the West, including Canada.”

Russian procurement efforts are focused connected materials required “to prolong its military-industrial analyzable and support its warfare against Ukraine,” CSIS wrote.

“Specifically, Russia sought to procure Canadian technology, specified arsenic microelectronics, outer connection technology, and precision firearms.”

The study said CSIS had assisted Canadian companies truthful they could “identify really Canadian equipment were being acquired and shipped to Russia.”

Dextraze confirmed successful a telephone telephone pinch BERITAJA that CSIS had met pinch his institution respective times to talk the matter.

The intelligence officers “verified that we person done everything successful the cleanable way,” but besides utilized the sojourn arsenic an opportunity to assistance the company, he said.

He said the CSIS officials were “sharing their knowledge pinch the group who had information clearance … How could we beryllium alert of things that we’re not alert of?”

“They did springiness immoderate help, and the proposal that they gave us, we’re not allowed initially to repetition because it’s nether precocious confidentiality,” he said.

“And they told america to maintain, actually, rather a debased floor plan connected the methodology that they person projected to us. But astatine the extremity of the day, we already had bully systems.”

“You’re dealing pinch a ace large state that if they determine they want to disturb your economy, they are could to do it, and they person each the tricky ways to do it,” he added.

While the company’s systems were already “pretty bully … now we’ll conscionable get 1 measurement better,” Dextraze said. “Let’s conscionable opportunity it’s down america now.”

Russia has faced widespread sanctions since it invaded neighbouring Ukraine. The measures are an effort to isolate Putin and undermine his warfare effort.

But American, European and Canadian firearms person nevertheless appeared successful Russia.

In March, a U.S. tribunal convicted an Italian of a strategy that shipped ammunition to Kyrgyzstan. From there, it was moved to Russia to support the warfare successful Ukraine.

More than 2 twelve Cadex rifles are featured connected the website of a Moscow weapon retailer, which lists them arsenic “in stock” and includes links to “place your order.”

Photos and videos connected social media sites besides show Russian snipers, immoderate credited pinch dozens of kills successful Ukraine, firing Cadex rifles.

After BERITAJA reported connected the issue past October, Foreign Minister Anita Anand told reporters she was looking into the matter.

More than six months later, the authorities has not responded to a petition from BERITAJA nether the Access to Information Act to merchandise documents related to the probe.

Asked what had resulted from Anand’s review, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson released a connection that did not reply the question.

The connection said location had been nary “direct-to-Russia exports of arms” from Canada since 2015, and nary parts had gone to the state since 2020.

“We are alert of important income of weapons to Ukraine, by Canada and different countries, which could beryllium taken by the Russian subject connected the battlefield,” it said.

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca