Canadian intelligence officers visited a Quebec firearms manufacturer after its sniper rifles turned up in Russia, based on the corporate’s president.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) met with Cadex Defence about Russia’s efforts to evade sanctions, Serge Dextraze told Global News.
The briefing took place after Global News reported in October that social media posts showed Cadex rifles on the market in Moscow and within the hands of Russian snipers.
While a number of the Canadian-made guns appeared to have been captured from Ukrainian forces, others looked brand recent and still 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 south of Montreal, Cadex supplies military and law enforcement agencies worldwide. Dextraze said the corporate didn’t export its products to Russia.
CSIS said it had been working with manufacturers and exporters to forestall Russia from acquiring Canadian goods.
“With increased awareness of this illicit activity, Canadian firms are higher enabled to proactively vet customers themselves,” a spokesperson said.
Cadex headquarters south of Montreal.
Global News
CSIS wouldn’t comment further, but its May 1 annual report said Russia was attempting to “illicitly procure export controlled and sanctioned technology from the West, including Canada.”
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Russian procurement efforts are focused on materials required “to sustain its military-industrial complex and support its war against Ukraine,” CSIS wrote.
“Specifically, Russia sought to acquire Canadian technology, equivalent to microelectronics, satellite communication technology, and precision firearms.”
The report said CSIS had assisted Canadian firms so that they could “discover how Canadian goods were being acquired and shipped to Russia.”
Dextraze confirmed in a phone call with Global News that CSIS had met together with his company several times to debate the matter.
The intelligence officers “verified that we now have done every little thing in the right way,” but additionally used the visit as a possibility to help the corporate, he said.
He said the CSIS officials were “sharing their knowledge with the individuals who had security clearance … How can we pay attention to things that we’re not aware of?”
“They did give some help, and the recommendation that they gave us, we’re not allowed initially to repeat since it’s under high confidentiality,” he said.
“They usually told us to take care of, actually, quite a low profile on the methodology that they’ve proposed to us. But at the top of the day, we already had good systems.”
“You’re coping with a brilliant big country that in the event that they determine they wish to disturb your economy, they’re capable to do it, and so they have all of the tricky ways to do it,” he added.
While the corporate’s systems were already “pretty good … now we’ll just get one step higher,” Dextraze said. “Let’s just say it’s behind us now.”
Canada’s Cadex Defence, whose president is seen here with Donald Trump Jr. at 2019 U.S. firearms convention, sells arms to law enforcement but some have turned up in Russia.
Russia has faced widespread sanctions because it invaded neighbouring Ukraine. The measures are an try to isolate Putin and undermine his war effort.
But American, European and Canadian firearms have nonetheless appeared in Russia.
In March, a U.S. court convicted an Italian of a scheme that shipped ammunition to Kyrgyzstan. From there, it was moved to Russia to support the war in Ukraine.
Greater than two dozen Cadex rifles are featured on the web site of a Moscow gun retailer, which lists them as “in stock” and includes links to “place your order.”
Photos and videos on social media sites also show Russian snipers, some credited with dozens of kills in Ukraine, firing Cadex rifles.
After Global News reported on the problem last October, Foreign Minister Anita Anand told reporters she was looking into the matter.
Greater than six months later, the federal government has not responded to a request from Global News under the Access to Information Act to release documents related to the probe.
Asked what had resulted from Anand’s review, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson released a press release that didn’t answer the query.
The statement said there had been no “direct-to-Russia exports of arms” from Canada since 2015, and no parts had gone to the country since 2020.
“We’re aware of great sales of weapons to Ukraine, by Canada and other countries, which might be taken by the Russian military on the battlefield,” it said.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
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