Border officers in Montreal seized the cargo, described as “dual-use goods” prohibited from being exported to Russia under Canada’s sanctions regime. The shipment was one of more than a dozen with “suspected links to Russian entities” that the Canada Border Services Agency said resulted in action. The CBSA initially said it was the only seizure it could confirm under Ukraine-related sanctions, but later said it was the only one it could provide details on. He also added that more than a dozen missions in which he had acted had “suspicious links to the Russian military”.
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Story continues below ad CBSA spokeswoman Judith Gadbois-St-Cyr said the shipment was traced last month and seized because it did not have the proper export permits. “The agency can confirm that it has seized a prohibited shipment destined for Russia as a result of a risk assessment and referral by CBSA counter-proliferation officials,” he said. “The shipment was detained and CBSA consulted with Global Affairs Canada experts who confirmed that the export of a component in the shipment was prohibited.” The product was on Canada’s Restricted Products and Technologies List, which specifies materials that are prohibited from being exported to Russia. Debris of a damaged apartment after Russian shelling of a residential area in Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, July 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka). XBP The sanctions were imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked war in neighboring Ukraine. The conflict is now approaching six months. “This CBSA seizure is positive and demonstrates that Canada’s sanctions against Russia are working,” said Marcus Kolga, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Story continues below ad But he said recent reports that Italian authorities had seized a shipment from Canada of US drones bound for Russia should be investigated. Trending Stories
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Russia desperately needs drones as well as spare parts to repair the Cold War weapons it has pulled out of storage to replace those lost in Ukraine, he said. “Russia and some of its Western suppliers may seek to circumvent sanctions and export bans to secure parts to repair weapons destroyed by Ukrainian forces,” he added. “Canadians should be reminded that Russia has a history of not respecting international treaties and has itself violated international arms embargoes by sending weapons to areas where they are prohibited.” A priest blesses the remains of three people who died during the Russian occupation of Bukha, Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti). EM On Tuesday, the Canadian government added 43 military officials and 17 entities to its sanctions list, in part on the grounds that they were complicit in war crimes in Bukha. Story continues below ad “We will not allow Vladimir Putin and his proxies to act with impunity,” Secretary of State Melanie Jolie said in a statement. The Russian embassy in Ottawa protested the “illegal and unjustified” sanctions in a tweet. The statement falsely claimed that war crimes committed by Russian forces in Bukha were “false flag operations” orchestrated by Ukraine.
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While Canada has imposed sanctions on nearly 1,200 individuals and entities since the Russian invasion began on February 24, it has said little about enforcing those measures. However, the CBSA told Global News that the Department of Nuclear Countermeasures Operations is working with the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to “share information and targets.” To help identify “exports of potential concern,” frontline officers in Canada and the U.S. have access to each other’s bulletins, the CBSA said. “While Russia and Russian entities have been sanctioned, proliferators may use transit countries and intermediaries,” Gadbois-St-Cyr said. “The CBSA and BIS are particularly cautious while risk assessing exports to neighboring countries, transit countries and known Russian supporters.” Story continues below ad “The CBSA can confirm that it has acted (either intercepted, requested interception from partner governments or seized) more than a dozen shipments due to suspected links to Russian entities since March 1, 2022. The RCMP said in June it had frozen $124 million in Russian assets and blocked $289 million worth of Russian assets. [email protected] 1:19 Trudeau defends decision to return turbines to Russia after Ukraine criticism Trudeau defends decision to return turbines to Russia after Ukraine criticism – July 13, 2022 © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
