RCMP alleges two former UN workers in Montreal sold weapons, drones to Libya

By The Canadian Press on April 23, 2024.

Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh is shown in an RCMP handout photo. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say two former United Nations employees in Montreal have been charged with taking part in a conspiracy to illegally sell Chinese-made drones and other military equipment to Libya. THE CANADIAN PRESS /HO-RCMP **MANDATORY CREDIT**

MONTREAL – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police says two former United Nations employees in Montreal have been charged after they allegedly took part in a conspiracy to illegally sell Chinese-made drones and other military equipment to Libya.

The RCMP says Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek, who is 61 and lives in the Montreal suburb of Sainte-Catherine, Que., has been arrested and is expected to appear in a Montreal court today.

Police say his alleged accomplice, Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh, 37, remains on the run and INTERPOL has issued an alert to police around the world.

The Mounties say the two men were employed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency headquartered in Montreal, when the alleged offences took place.

They say the two men allegedly violated UN sanctions on Libya.

Investigators say they believe the scheme also involved the illegal sale of Libyan oil to China.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2024.