Spanish police seize 13 tons of banned chemicals bound for Russia

Reuters reported the information.
 

Spanish police have seized 13 tons of banned chemicals, including potential precursors for chemical weapons, that were intended for Russia despite ongoing sanctions related to its invasion of Ukraine. Authorities arrested four suspects linked to a crime ring believed to be circumventing these sanctions by illegally supplying chemical products to Russia through a shell company operated by "citizens of Russian origin.”
 

The police stated that their investigation revealed that internationally sanctioned chemicals, some of which could be used to produce chemical weapons or nerve agents, had previously been exported via this company structure. However, the specific chemicals seized in this latest operation were not disclosed. The chemicals were discovered in a container at the port of Barcelona, and the suspects were arrested in nearby villages, facing charges related to the sustained smuggling of banned goods.
 

Authorities noted that the Spanish company involved had developed a complex logistical and financial network to export these internationally sanctioned chemicals to Russia. This network included a subsidiary in Moscow and several shell companies located in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, which were used to obscure the true destination of the goods before they were redirected to Russia.
 

The European Union has imposed extensive sanctions on Moscow since 2022 and is reportedly making progress in targeting companies that sell dual-use goods to Russia through Central Asian states to evade sanctions . The United States and Britain have accused Russia of violating an international ban on the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, with the UK imposing sanctions on troops allegedly involved in their use. In response, Russia has consistently denied these accusations, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that Moscow remains committed to its obligations under the chemical weapons treaty.