Toronto company owner arrested for alleged violation of sanctions against Russia – State
A Toronto company accused of transporting drone parts to Russia has been arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, according to documents obtained by Global News.
Anton Sergeyevich Trofimov was charged with two counts of violating the comprehensive sanctions imposed by Canada on Russia invasion of Ukraine.
The 43-year-old has been accused of providing companies in the Asia-Pacific region to the Russian army and has been accused of possessing criminal proceeds.
The RCMP plans to hold a press conference on Wednesday to announce their so-called first Canadian prosecution in violation of Canadian sanctions against Russia.
But court records obtained by the Global News show say Trofimov was indicted on May 5 and appeared in Ontario court in Toronto last week.
These allegations accused Trofimov of exporting, selling, supplying or transporting restricted goods and technologies to Russia between July 2022 and December 1222.
He was released on a $5,000 cash deposit, according to court records.
Jessica Davis, a former intelligence analyst and terrorist financing expert, said prosecutions for violations of sanctions “are very rare in Canada.”
“Although Canada is very active in sanctioning individuals and entities, sanctions activities are rarely actually happening and undermining.”
Instead, Canada tends to rely on its partners in the United States to identify sanctions violations and prosecute those responsible.
“This is a step in the right direction, but these protections have proven challenging in the past, so the outcome remains to be seen,” Davis said.
Canada, together with its allies, banned the export of sensitive goods to Russia in response to Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine.
Still, weapons found on the battlefield, such as attack drones, suggest that Russia still managed to obtain the parts needed to supply its troops.
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Trofimov is a Russian national who owns a house in Toronto and lives in Hong Kong. He was approved by the U.S. Treasury Department in May 2023.
His Asia Pacific Line Company was established in Hong Kong in 2014 and was also approved for suspected supply of Russian troops.
Three other companies allegedly associated with Trofimov were also approved by the United States, including 10219452 Canada in Toronto.
Trofimov's company is a “procurement network aimed at obtaining part of the technology” of Russia's Orlan-10 drone
The Orlan-10 is a medium-sized reconnaissance drone that Russian forces have widely used in Ukraine to identify targets for artillery and rocket strikes.
Ukraine's Canadian Parliament wrote to Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Security in January 2023, demanding action against Trofimov in violation of suspected sanctions.
“The evidence shows that Canadian residents are involved in the supply of technology used by Russia to murder Ukrainians has attracted great attention,” wrote the President of the State Alexandra Chyczij.
A photo released by the Ukrainian military shows the wreckage of an Iranian Shah drone described as being shot down near Kupiansk, Ukraine. (Ukrainian military through AP/FILE's Strategic Communications Bureau).
Asia-Pacific Links Ltd. is said to have provided the St. Petersburg company SMT-ilogic, which in turn provided parts for the Orlan-10 drone manufacturer's special technology center.
The Special Technology Center is also on the sanctions list in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Ukraine because of its “important role” in “Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.”
The other two companies are allegedly linked to Trofimov, IPS Pacific Company Ltd. and Shenzhen Yantu Import and Export Co., Ltd., and are also approved for providing Russia's drone program.
A joint investigation by Royal United Services Institute and Reuters said Trofimov's company is SMT-ilogic's “largest microelectronics supplier” since February 2022.
The Toronto resident company had allocated $5 million worth of microelectronics to SMT-ilogic in the first eight months of the Ukrainian war.
It uses the acronym of the drone, saying: “These cargo includes items that are essential to the Orlan-10 drone.”
stewart.bell@globalnews.ca
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