Allegedly Involved In A Military Technology Smuggle Scheme, Russian Citizens Arrested By The United States Authority

Illustration. (Pixabay/4711018)

JAKARTA - Two Russian nationals were arrested and several others charged in a scheme for alleged US military technology smuggling, with some of them being used in Ukraine.

Yury Orekhov, co-owner and chief executive of Nord-Deutsche Industrialeanlagenbau (NDA) in Hamburg was arrested on Monday in Germany. Meanwhile, Artem Uss, owner along with other NDAs, was arrested in Italy.

Orekhov and Uss were among five Russian nationals and two Venezuelan oil traders charged in charges opened Wednesday at the Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York.

"As alleged, the defendants are criminal supporters for the oligarchs, arranging complex schemes to unlawfully obtain US military and oil technology approved by Venezuela, through a myriad of transactions involving shell companies and cryptocurrencies," Prosecutor Brooklyn Breon Peace said, quoted by The National News Oct. 21.

"Their efforts undermine security, economic stability, and the rule of law around the world."

Washington accused Orkehov and Uss of using NDA as a cover to purchase sensitive military and multiple use technology from US manufacturers, including advanced semiconductors and microprocessors used in warplanes, missile systems, smart ammunition, satellites, and other military applications.

According to the US, the items were then shipped to Russia, with some of the same technology later found in Russian weapons seized in Ukraine.

Not only that, Orekhov and Uss are also suspected of using NDA to smuggle hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela into Russian and Chinese buyers.

They include a Russian aluminum company controlled by an oligarchy that is under US sanctions, and the world's largest oil, gas and petrochemical refining conglomerate, based in Beijing.

Meanwhile, two Venezuelans charged in the case allegedly brokered a deal for oil between NDA and Petroleos de Venezuela, a state-owned oil company, using a shell company to disguise transactions.

In communication with one of Venezuela's traders in the indictment, Orekhov allegedly admitted that he acted on behalf of the sanctioned Russian oligarchy, saying: "He is also under sanctions. That's why we acted from this company (NDA) as a fronting."