U.S. components used in the manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being discovered in Russian weapons despite concerted efforts to regulate the flow of these high priority items into the country. Russian entities have been using third-party intermediaries and transshipment points to evade these restrictions.
This report uses corporate ownership, trade, and risk data accessed through Sayari Graph to expose the inner workings of one such transshipment network. Optima Distribution, Inc., a U.S.-based computer hardware distributor, is revealed to be:
- Ultimately controlled by Russian national Alexander Yermash
- Involved in the transshipment of high priority items to Russia via Uzbekistan
- Likely fronted by Hong Kong-based Mekotronics Co., Ltd., which has acted in direct violation of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) High Priority Rule
Download the report for a full investigative analysis substantiating Optima’s regulatory risk and demonstrating the utility of corporate ownership and trade data in exposing transshipment networks.