A Caribbean shell company has smuggled at least $80 million worth of electronics into Russia under the disguise of a Canadian address, according to leaked Russian trade filings obtained by CBC News.In defiance of international sanctions, the Kremlin has constructed shadowy global networks of middlemen to procure electronics it needs to build weapons.
Two separate sources, one from a government agency and the other an academic watchdog, provided the 2023 import data, which was then cross-referenced for its authenticity by two experts. CBC News has agreed to keep the sources confidential to protect against retribution from the Russian government. In a statement to CBC News, the RCMP, which investigates Canadian sanctions violations, said it has not laid charges relating to the export of microelectronics into Russia.While Alburton has no website or extensive online presence indicating its business or origins, Ontario government records show it was first incorporated in the British Virgin Islands in 2012 and then obtained an extra-provincial licence in 2015 to operate as a foreign business in the province.
"My address is part of the public record, and unfortunately, I cannot control if anyone decides to use it," said Poberezkin via email, adding that he had no knowledge of the "financial or business activities" of the company. He declined multiple interview requests. In much the same way drug traffickers wash illicitly obtained currencies in a complex series of transactions to hide their movements, Russia has sourced items as simple as aParts recovered by Ukraine from inside the Orlan-10, a reconnaissance drone produced by a Russian arms maker and used by its military, have been been found to contain microchips from U.S. manufacturers.
The Russian import data reflects the same: Alburton appears to never have purchased or sent Canadian-made technologies to Russia from Canada, but purchased components from China and other countries in the South Pacific, then shipped them to Russia using their status as a Canadian supplier.
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