The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) disclosed that the apprehension of a Russian citizen, accused of unlawfully exporting goods to Russia, resulted from an international investigation spanning various ports outside Canada.
Anton Trofimov, residing in Toronto, was taken into custody on May 5 and charged with exporting a restricted item to Russia and exporting goods to Russia for potential weapon production, as per court documents lodged in the Ontario Court of Justice. These charges fall within the framework of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations enacted in 2014, which were further bolstered with stricter sanctions following the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Additionally, the 43-year-old faces an allegation under the Criminal Code concerning possessing proceeds obtained from criminal activities between July 17, 2022, and Dec. 8, 2022. Although CBC News initially reported the arrest of Trofimov last week, the RCMP officially confirmed the arrest during a press briefing on Friday, revealing the involvement of international law enforcement entities, such as the FBI, in the investigative process.
Regarding the goods’ ultimate usage in the Russian war operations, law enforcement authorities stated that Trofimov allegedly sourced electronic components globally, shipped them to Asia, and then onward to Russia. Apart from his Toronto residence, Trofimov holds a registered address in Hong Kong and serves as the director of Asia Pacific Links Ltd., a Hong Kong-based firm sanctioned by the U.S. and the U.K., as per Open Sanctions, a database monitoring international trade transgressions.
According to the RCMP, Asia Pacific Links Ltd. emerged as the principal supplier of microelectronic components to Russian enterprises since the conflict’s inception, with the exported components reportedly contributing to the production of Orlan-10 drones—crucial reconnaissance assets utilized by the Russian military for conducting airstrikes in Ukraine. While the RCMP refrained from specifying the exact components dispatched by Trofimov to Russia, an officer at the recent press conference hinted that these components could serve civilian or military purposes, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding their application in the Russian military activities.
