The smuggling of 13 tons of chemicals intended for Russia, which was supposed to be transported in violation of international sanctions imposed on that country, was prevented at the beginning of October in the port of Barcelona, the Spanish police announced today.
The cargo was seized in a container that was "in the customs area of the port of Barcelona", the police said, adding that four people were arrested as a result.
The suspects of trafficking in illegal goods were arrested on October 8 and brought before the investigative judge in charge of the case, an unnamed police spokesman told France Presse.
The investigation was launched in 2022, as suspicious actions of a company managed by citizens of Russian origin were observed.
The shipments were officially intended for companies located in countries neighboring Russia, such as Armenia or Kyrgyzstan, Spanish police said.
It is added that these were fake companies, which were not the recipients of the goods. The goods were diverted to Russia by land.
According to the police, the investigators found that chemical products targeted for sanctions were exported, including products that could be used in the production of chemical weapons or nerve agents.
The European Union, like all Western countries, banned the export to Russia of technological products that could be used for the production of weapons, such as microprocessors, as part of the sanctions introduced after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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