Canadian firearms company says rifles ‘fraudulently diverted’ to Russia - BERITAJA

A Quebec firearms institution says an soul investigation has confirmed that its rifles were “fraudulent diverted” to Russia.

Cadex Defence said its “comprehensive” reappraisal recovered the shipments occurred without the company’s authorization aliases knowledge.

“Upon discovering this situation, Cadex afloat cooperated pinch the competent Canadian authorities responsible for reviewing this matter,” it said.

“The institution besides strengthened its verification mechanisms, owed diligence procedures, and power measures successful bid to further trim the risks of fraudulent diversion wrong the world proviso chain.”

The investigation was launched aft BERITAJA reported that Russian snipers were utilizing Canadian-made Cadex rifles.

The precision firearms were besides displayed astatine a Moscow weapon show past October, and are for waste connected the website of a weapon shop successful the Russian capital.

While immoderate shown connected Russian societal media channels appeared to person been captured from Ukrainian troops, others looked marque caller and still had merchandise tags.

“Following the accusation brought to our attraction astatine the clip of the original publication of the article, Cadex instantly launched a broad soul investigation to trace the root and activity of the firearms successful question,” the institution said.

“This process confirmed that definite firearms manufactured by Cadex look to person been fraudulently diverted from their intended destination earlier ending up successful Russia, without the authorization, knowledge, aliases consent of Cadex.”

Sanctions imposed successful consequence to President Vladimir Putin’s penetration of Ukraine prohibit the export of weapons to Russia.

But American, European and Canadian firearms person still recovered their measurement to Russia, allegedly done neighbouring countries, according to Russian investigative journalists.

“Cadex wishes to reaffirm unequivocally that astatine nary clip has the institution sold, exported, aliases authorized the transportation of its products to the Russian Federation, straight aliases indirectly,” the institution said successful its statement.

The statement was a consequence to a BERITAJA report this week that revealed Canadian intelligence officers had visited the company’s office southbound of Montreal.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service met pinch Cadex Defence to little the institution connected Russian procurement efforts, the institution said.

“Cadex believes it has afloat cooperated and communicated transparently pinch the applicable authorities,” the institution said successful its statement.

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

The CSIS yearly study released connected May 1 said Russia was attempting to illicitly procure materials “to prolong its military-industrial analyzable and support its warfare against Ukraine.”

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

The study said CSIS was moving pinch Canadian manufacturers “to place really Canadian equipment were being acquired and shipped to Russia.”

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca