How the alleged Russian conspiracy suddenly raised Canada's air cargo regulations
The long Labor Day weekend was restless for Bruce Rodgers.
His phone started ringing Friday night and hasn't stopped, with dozens of emails and phone calls all asking the same thing: Why did air freight to Canada suddenly stop?
As the executive director of the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA) – the industry body of the national network of freight forwarders – Rodgers is used to dealing with the fallout of labor disruptions, accidents or natural disasters. But not mysteries.
“We didn't know anything. We didn't know what happened,” he said. “The goods were not moving.”
Rodgers and his colleagues soon realized that Transport Canada had imposed new regulations on the import of air cargo from 55 countries, mostly in Europe, without prior warning. And because of that, nothing is accepted on incoming flights.
The new rules require proof of an “established” business relationship between shippers and receivers, at least six shipments in the previous 90 days, and documented payment histories of past transactions. It's a high bar that many importers haven't been able to reach – and one that's still causing a stir.
But the strange thing for Rodgers is that no one can explain why.
“We tried to get the information directly from Transport Canada. They said that because of the Aeronautics Act, they could not disclose this information to the freight forwarders, who are responsible for controlling the movement of goods. They only share it with the freight forwarders,” he said.
Canadian cargo managers finally figured out what was going on through conversations with their US counterparts, who were facing similar new demands: Someone was trying to smuggle flammable materials onto passenger and cargo jets, suggesting the possibility of a devastating mid-air fire.
Ottawa 'deeply concerned' about Russian activities
It is only in the last two weeks that the extent of the threat has become clear. On October 25, authorities in Poland arrested four people for allegedly plotting to send bombs hidden in massage parlors to addresses in Europe and beyond. Shipments have now been linked to two summer fires inside warehouses in Germany and the UK – running tests, it seems, aimed at trans-Atlantic flights.
“The purpose of the group was also to check the transfer station for such packages, which will be sent to the United States of America and Canada,” said the Polish National Prosecutor's Office, and the whole conspiracy was allegedly organized by the Russian intelligence service.
Canadian authorities are still reluctant to discuss the matter. CBC News' requests for interviews with officials from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Public Safety Canada and Transport Canada were all denied this week.
But a spokesperson for Public Safety Canada gave a brief statement, acknowledging that the federal government is “aware of and deeply concerned about Russia's intensifying campaign, from cyber incidents and disinformation operations to sabotage activities.” The statement also noted that Ottawa raised its concerns directly with Russian officials and “stated unequivocally that any threat to the safety and security of Canadians is unacceptable.”
A request for an interview with Air Canada was also declined, with the airline noting that it has a general policy not to discuss security issues.
Russia has denied that it was involved in the planting of these explosives as President Vladimir Putin called the allegations “real rubbish.”
But concerns about Russian intelligence activities across western Europe have been around for almost a year – with dozens of incidents, emerging derailment of trains again they don't burnto planned attacks on US military bases and even a a plot to kill the CEO of a German arms manufacturer, all linked to Russian agents.
Last month, Bruno Kahl, head of Germany's foreign intelligence service, or BND, warned that Russia's dirty tactics campaign is now “at an unprecedented level,” while Ken McCallum, director general of Britain's MI5, accused Russia of “an ongoing mission to cause harm on British and European roads.”
Authorities in Poland have arrested four people in connection with a plot to ship explosives to Canada and the United States.
The alleged plot represents a new level of threat
Keir Giles, a Russia expert who works with Chatham House, an independent policy think tank in London, said it was difficult to track the actual level of destruction because until recently, many countries were reluctant to disclose details of efforts or damage done.
What is clear, however, is that many of the actions were carried out by proxies – often members of criminal gangs – allegedly recruited and paid for by Russian intelligence.
“After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe got a bit of a break in these campaigns because Russian intelligence was roaming around the continent attacking Ukraine itself,” said Giles. “What has changed now is that Russia has found a way to spread its attack forward, and the people it recruited to attack in the name of Russia, without even knowing what it is attacking or why.”
Giles, author of a forthcoming book, Who Will Defend Europe?: The Awakened Russia and the Sleeping Continenthe said the increase in surveillance, and attacks on railways, airports and important infrastructure in recent months is a worrying trend.
“One of the worst-case scenarios is the possibility that Russia is actually … preparing an all-out attack on a NATO member,” Giles said. “Indeed, many of the jobs we see continue to be similar to what we expected to see in those circumstances.”
But the alleged plot against passenger and cargo planes represents a whole new level of threat, as evidenced by the swift and far-reaching changes in cargo regulations.
“We have never seen Russia planning mass killings against a Western capital, whether by sponsoring terrorist groups to carry them out or by other means of intervention,” Giles said. “Now I think we have found it. This is Russia that is practicing to kill a lot of people during terrorist attacks.”
Whether the explosive devices were actually intended to bring down the plane or cause fear remains unknown – at least to the general public.
But their impact on commerce, in Canada and abroad, continues to be felt. Stricter, new air transport regulations will remain in place for the foreseeable future, says CIFFA's Rodgers, and so will the importation problem.
He is still upset about how Transport Canada is dealing with the problem.
“It's worrying,” Rodgers said. “We need information to help the government put in place better controls, safer controls for the health, safety and security of Canadians. That's the role we play.
“There are better, better methods that could have been used,” he said. “My belief is that they don't really understand how the trade works.”
Jonathon Gatehouse can be contacted by email at jonathon.gatehouse@cbc.caor accessed through CBC's digitally encrypted Securedrop program at https://www.cbc.ca/securedrop/
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