The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced on Tuesday that it had uncovered a plot to illegally smuggle Chinese military equipment to Libya, including at the UN headquarters in Montreal.
The RCMP said in a press release that two of the suspects in the case are former employees of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN organization headquartered in Montreal. Police believe they may have planned to export Chinese drones and other military equipment to Libya while in office.
“Through foreign front companies, the individuals behind the conspiracy allegedly violated international sanctions to facilitate the illegal activities,” the police force said in a press release.
Conspiracy charges have been filed against 61-year-old Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek and 37-year-old Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh of Sainte-Catherine. The first arrestee is due to appear in a Montreal court on Tuesday. The second is still being sought and is now the subject of a red notice by international police alliance Interpol.
The charges relate to United Nations law and its regulations for the implementation of United Nations resolutions and special economic measures aimed at Libya. The export of various types of military equipment to Libya is restricted by UN resolutions.
According to the RCMP, shell companies were used to hide the true identities of buyers and sellers. As part of the deals, groups in Libya allegedly sold oil to Chinese buyers in exchange for military equipment.
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