China tried to illegally sell drones to Libya by hiding them in Covid-19 kits
China is alleged to have attempted to illegally sell drones to Libya, a country in North Africa that has remained politically unstable since the death of Muammar Gaddafi.
Since February 2011, Libya has been under an arms embargo. Despite this ban, Beijing reportedly sought to supply weapons both to the Libyan government and to militias operating within the country.
According to an investigation by The Telegraph, China attempted to sell 92 military drones to Libya for 1 billion dollars to a warlord between 2018 and 2021. In exchange, Libya was to supply China with oil at a reduced price.
Between 2020 and 2021, China allegedly tried to smuggle the drones by concealing them within Covid-19 response kits.
Canadian authorities, who conducted the investigations, uncovered that the illegal operation was facilitated by three employees of the International Civil Aviation Organization, based in Montreal.
Experts say the deal ultimately fell through, but China is suspected of hiding other illegal agreements.
(QG - The Telegraph / Geo / Picture: © Unsplash)