In response to attempts to send incendiary packages by plane to countries allied with Ukraine and likely orchestrated by Russia, Transport Canada has radically tightened its air freight rules for cargoes originating from 55 countries, mainly European.
This change introduced without notice was first reported by CBC News (New window).
Transport Canada now requires proof of a commercial relationship established
between the company sending and the company receiving the merchandise, with a minimum of six shipments in the last 90 days. Senders and recipients must also provide proof of payment for previous transactions.
At the time of writing, Transport Canada had not responded to our interview request.
This change of rules comes after the Federal Minister of Transport, Anita Anand, indicated on Wednesday that she would take additional measures
to ensure the safety of passengers and packages, without providing further details.
An alleged plot
Russia is accused of being behind a sabotage campaign against countries in theI’LL TAKE involving the sending of explosives by plane to damage European and North American infrastructure.
At the beginning of November, Poland and Lithuania announced that they had arrested several people suspected of being involved in a case of sending incendiary packages to different countries in Europe, some of which caught fire this summer in the warehouses of the DHL logistics group in Germany and Great Britain. International search notices have also been launched to find two other people allegedly linked to this plot.
According to the Polish authorities, those arrested are linked to foreign intelligence activities
. They planned to attack, initially, targets in member countries of the European Union and the United Kingdom, then turn towards Canada and the United States.
The group targeted industrial facilities or critical infrastructure such as airports, airplanes and other vehicles, where packages were expected to ignite during land and air transit.
According to the intelligence services of several Western countries, including that of the United Kingdom, these attacks were the work of Russian military intelligence services — more commonly known as GRU. And they would be an integral part of the hybrid warfare
that Moscow is leading against Ukraine’s allied countries.
Canada subsequently expressed this concern directly to Russia, which completely denies these accusations.
On Friday, Moscow summoned a senior diplomat from the Canadian embassy in Russia to inform it that these conjectures […] testify to the probable preparation of a gross anti-Russian provocation
.
Russia has accused Canada of participating in hybrid warfare
against Russia by supplying weapons to Ukraine and encouraging participation of Canadian mercenaries in hostilities alongside the kyiv regime with the blessing of the Trudeau government
.
Any hostile action will not go unanswered […] Canadian authorities should exercise caution and refrain from taking harmful actions that would escalate the confrontation with Russia
the Russian ministry further indicated.
Don’t panic
According to the director of the International Aeronautics and Civil Aviation Observatory, Mehran Ebrahimi, Canadians about to take a plane should not worry about parcel bombs ending up there. Safety is an obsession in aviation. Whether in terms of manufacturing aircraft or operations with aircraft
he said in an interview on the show First the info on HERE RDI.
On the other hand, Canadian authorities must increase the level of vigilance. When we’re dealing with bands of isolated people carrying out terrorist acts, that’s one thing. But when a state is behind it, it makes things more complicated.
The one who is also a professor atUQAM welcomes Transport Canada’s decision to tighten its rules surrounding air freight, but he believes in the same breath that we should not just settle for that
. The authorities must protect themselves against physical attacks, but also against cyberattacks, according to him. Russia has the means, the agents and the necessary infrastructure outside its territory to organize this type of malicious act.
The Government of Canada is aware of and is very concerned about Russia’s intensifying campaign, whether through cyber incidents, disinformation operations or sabotage activities.
announced for its part Global Affairs Canada, in a statement sent to -.
According to the ministry, no imminent threat weighs on Canadians at this time
emphasizing that Canadian national security and law enforcement agencies are working closely with our allies on this important issue to keep Canadians safe
.
With information from CBC News and Nicolas Bourcier
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