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German tool maker Heller Tools has found itself at the center of an international scandal over sales of its products to companies linked to the Russian espionage group Sernia. According to the Financial Times, citing information from the US Department of Justice, Heller Tools sold drills and other tools for a total of $1.2 million.
The Sernia network: espionage and circumvention of sanctions
The Sernia network, created under the leadership of Russian special services, aims to circumvent sanctions and procure equipment for Russia’s defense industry. According to the investigation, between the beginning of the Great War and June 2023, Heller Tools sold $860,000 worth of its products to the Treydtuls Trading House in Moscow, which was connected to the Sernia network.
Change of buyers and new agreements
Although Heller’s exports to Treydtuls ceased in June 2023, the company began selling goods to another Russian company, Tireks, as early as September of the same year. Tireks, which purchased $300,000 worth of goods from Heller, was founded in June by former Treydtuls shareholder and employee Artem Klymenko.
- The importance of construction tools
Heller construction tools, such as steel or masonry saws and drills, were not included in the EU’s export control lists until December 2023. They were later added to the list due to the possibility of their use to strengthen Russian industrial potential.
Sanctions and clients of the Sernia network
Serniya Engineering and Robin Trade were hit by EU sanctions in 2022. Among the clients of the Sernia network are the Ministry of Defense of Russia, the state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec and the state-owned nuclear energy giant Rosatom. However, Treydtuls and Tireks were not included in the sanctions list.
Accusations by the US Department of Justice
In 2022, the US Department of Justice indicted five individuals associated with Cernia for conspiring to acquire military and dual-use technology for Russian defense companies.
This case highlights the importance of international control over the export of technology and equipment that can be used for military purposes, especially in the context of global sanctions against Russia.
