A Quebec firearms company says an internal investigation has confirmed that its rifles were “fraudulent diverted” to Russia.
Cadex Defence said its “comprehensive” review found the shipments occurred without the company’s authorization or knowledge.
“Upon discovering this situation, Cadex fully cooperated with the competent Canadian authorities responsible for reviewing this matter,” it said.
“The company also strengthened its verification mechanisms, due diligence procedures, and control measures in order to further reduce the risks of fraudulent diversion within the international supply chain.”
The investigation was launched after Global News reported that Russian snipers were using Canadian-made Cadex rifles.
The precision firearms were also displayed at a Moscow gun show last October, and are for sale on the website of a gun shop in the Russian capital.
While some shown on Russian social media channels appeared to have been captured from Ukrainian troops, others looked brand new and still had product tags.
“Following the information brought to our attention at the time of the original publication of the article, Cadex immediately launched a comprehensive internal investigation to trace the origin and movement of the firearms in question,” the company said.
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“This process confirmed that certain firearms manufactured by Cadex appear to have been fraudulently diverted from their intended destination before ending up in Russia, without the authorization, knowledge, or consent of Cadex.”
Sanctions imposed in response to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine prohibit the export of weapons to Russia.
But American, European and Canadian firearms have still found their way to Russia, allegedly through neighbouring countries, according to Russian investigative journalists.
“Cadex wishes to reaffirm unequivocally that at no time has the company sold, exported, or authorized the transfer of its products to the Russian Federation, directly or indirectly,” the company said in its statement.
The statement was a response to a Global News report this week that revealed Canadian intelligence officers had visited the company’s headquarters south of Montreal.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service met with Cadex Defence to brief the company on Russian procurement efforts, the company said.
“Cadex believes it has fully cooperated and communicated transparently with the relevant authorities,” the company said in its statement.
After Global News first reported on the issue last October, Foreign Minister Anita Anand told reporters she was looking into the matter.
The CSIS annual report released on May 1 said Russia was attempting to illicitly procure materials “to sustain its military-industrial complex and support its war against Ukraine.”
“Specifically, Russia sought to procure Canadian technology, such as microelectronics, satellite communication technology, and precision firearms.”
The report said CSIS was working with Canadian manufacturers “to identify how Canadian goods were being acquired and shipped to Russia.”
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