Spain captures criminal group smuggling sanctioned chemicals to Russia
Illustrative photo: individuals in Spain exposed for supplying chemical substances to Russia in violation of sanctions (GettyImages)
Spanish police seized over 13 tons of banned chemicals, likely destined for Russia despite sanctions, Reuters informs.
According to the agency, law enforcement arrested four suspected members of a criminal organization. The police stated that, despite sanctions, the group was illegally supplying chemical products to Russia through a front company. The company was managed by "citizens of Russian origin."
"During the investigation, it was proven that internationally sanctioned chemicals, some of them possible precursors for chemical weapons or nerve agents, had been exported in the past using this company structure," the police statement said.
It remains unclear which specific chemicals were seized during the operation. According to Reuters, the chemicals were found in a container at the port of Barcelona, and the four suspects were arrested in neighboring villages.
The supplying company was registered in Spain and had created "a sophisticated logistical and financial network to export internationally sanctioned chemical products to Russia." It had a subsidiary in Moscow, which received the chemicals. Additionally, the organizers had front companies in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan to mask the "true destination of the goods."
Use of chemical weapons by Russian forces
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia may be using chemical weapons in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region.
There have also been reports of Russian troops using chemical weapons on the Bakhmut front.
