The chemical products were supplied to Russia through a shell company run by Russian citizens.
Spanish police have seized 13 tons of banned chemicals, including “possible” chemical weapons components, that were heading to Russia despite anti-Russian sanctions.
Reuters reports this.
According to a statement from the police, four suspected members of a criminal group have been arrested that likely tried to circumvent Western sanctions by illegally supplying chemical products to Russia through a shell company run by “citizens of Russian origin.”
The National Police and Tax Service stated that during the investigation it was revealed that chemicals under international sanctions, some of which may be precursors to chemical weapons or nerve agents, were exported in the past using this company structure.
The statement from the services does not say what chemicals were seized during the operation.
Where exactly were the chemicals found
The chemicals were found in a container in the port of Barcelona. Four suspects were arrested in the neighboring villages of Sant Feliu de Guixols, Cerdanyola del Vallès and Santa Perpetua de Mogoda. They are accused of smuggling banned goods.
Police said the Spanish company had set up a complex logistical and financial network to export chemical products subject to international sanctions to Russia.
It turned out that the Spanish company had a subsidiary in Moscow that received the chemicals, as well as several shell companies in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan to hide the real purpose of the goods, which were later diverted to Russia, they added.
What the EU says
The European Union, which has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia since 2022, said it was taking steps against companies supplying dual-use goods to Russia via Central Asian countries in order to bypass sanctions.
The US and Britain have accused Russia of violating an international ban on the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, and London has imposed sanctions on troops it says were involved in their use.
However, Russia has repeatedly denied these accusations, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in May that Moscow is adhering to its obligations under the treaty banning chemical weapons.
Recall that despite the sanctions, Russia is buying industrial goods from Germany. This was discovered by SWR network investigators.
Related topics:
More news
