Christchurch man charged with breaching sanctions against Russia by supplying drones

A Christchurch man has been charged with breaching sanctions against Russia by supplying drones to a company, knowing or being reckless that the drones were destined for Russia, RNZ can reveal.

Court documents seen by RNZ reveal the man, aged in his 60s, was accused of recklessly breaching a sanction by supplying drones to a company "knowing or being reckless that the drones were destined for Russia".

The man was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, however, a court spokesperson told RNZ there was no record of the matter in its system.

The man told RNZ he was unaware of any court matter and was currently overseas.

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Police have been approached for comment.

The charge, which was laid under the Russia Sanctions Act 2022, related to alleged offending from November last year in Christchurch.

The charge carried a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000.

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)'s website said the Russia Sanctions Act was passed by Parliament in March 2022 and gave the Minister of Foreign Affairs the ability to "impose sanctions in response to threats to the sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine or another country".

"The Act and its Regulations place a range of obligations on New Zealanders persons (including and New Zealand-based businesses, individuals and entities) by prohibiting or restricting specific activities.

"New Zealand has imposed seven types of prohibitions: travel bans; transport bans; prohibitions relating to assets, securities, services; and measures relating to exports and imports. In addition to sanctioning individuals and entities from Russia, New Zealand has placed sanctions on individuals and entities from Iran, North Korea and Belarus that are assisting Russia in its aggression."

MFAT have also been approached for comment.