The FBI has arrested a former executive at the United Nations agency from Montreal, accused of trying to broker illegal arms deals worth more than $1 billion between Libya and China, according to the Canadian newspaper Global News.
The newspaper explained that the official is accused of leading a scheme to help China sell $1.54 billion in drones and missiles to Khalifa Haftar's forces in Libya between 2019 and 2023, in conspiracy with six other defendants, and that the US Department of Justice accused him of violating the US Arms Export Control Act after the FBI uncovered evidence indicating that he benefited financially from the scheme.
The newspaper confirmed that Haftar's contact with China was through an intermediary, and they agreed to provide the Libyan militants with powerful military drones, weapons and computer systems to operate them so that Haftar's forces could win the war quickly.
Global News indicated that FBI documents indicate that Chinese officials were nervous about the direct intervention of government institutions in Libya because they were sensitive to the UN arms embargo.
The newspaper pointed out that Italian customs intercepted and confiscated Chinese-made Wing Loong military drones, explaining that this proves that China's alleged scheme was real, and that the scheme was used to ship military drones to Libya, stressing that the Italian Guardia di Minanza reported that its officers confiscated parts for two Chinese military drones - hidden inside shipping containers while they were heading to Libya.
