Two former United Nations employees in Montreal have been charged with participating in a conspiracy to sell Chinese-made drones and other military equipment in Libya, according to Canadian police. The alleged offenses occurred between 2018 and 2021, when the two men, Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek and Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh, were working at the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency headquartered in Montreal. The men violated U.N. sanctions related to the Libyan civil war, and their actions had the potential to benefit one of the factions involved in the conflict, which ended in 2020. The men attempted to sell military equipment, including large drones that could carry multiple missiles, and also had plans to export Libyan oil to China.
The alleged conspiracy involved the sale of Chinese military equipment to Libya, which was a direct violation of regulations in Canada that prohibit the supply of military equipment to any factions involved in the Libyan civil war or those providing financial support to these groups. The plan also included the export of Libyan oil to China, in an effort to benefit General Khalifa Hifter, who led the Libyan National Army during the conflict. The investigation, which began in 2022 after the RCMP received credible intelligence, revealed that the co-conspirators could have potentially earned millions of dollars in commissions if the military equipment and crude oil had reached their intended destinations.
Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek, a Canadian citizen, was arrested in Montreal, while his alleged accomplice, Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh, remains at large. An Interpol red notice and a Canada-wide warrant have been issued for Sayeh’s arrest. Despite the men having diplomatic immunity due to their previous work with the U.N., their immunity had to be waived by the International Civil Aviation Organization before they could be charged. The organization, which sets international aviation standards, has been collaborating with the police investigation. There is no indication that ICAO was aware of the conspiracy until they were approached by the police.
The motivation behind the conspiracy was primarily financial, although it would have also benefitted China by allowing covert support for Hifter’s faction and providing the country with prime access to Libyan oil. The investigation revealed that the men had a significant level of influence and networking capabilities due to their work at ICAO, potentially allowing Sayeh to be anywhere, including Libya. The UN’s civil aviation agency, ICAO, has stated that it is committed to upholding Canadian laws, U.N. standards, and its own ethics code. The agency strongly condemns any actions that are inconsistent with its values. Despite the lack of evidence suggesting that the military equipment or oil reached their destinations, the case highlights the potential for illicit activities to occur among individuals with diplomatic immunity.
