A Russian-made automatic assault rifle was on display at the World Defense Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in March 2022. (Reuters)

Despite US sanctions, Sepha, founded by Saudi conglomerate Ajlan & Bros, intends to provide Saudi intelligence with Russian-manufactured surveillance and interception equipment.

Sepha's Russian director Eduard Kukharchuk discussed possibilities earlier in July with Belarusian and Russian arms export firms, BelTechExport and Rosoboronexport respectively, alongside the Kremlin's electronic warfare supplier Concern Granit, owned by the federal state property management agency Rosimushchestvo.

But Concern Granit's products are no stranger to Kukharchuk since he was the firm's head of business development from 2020 until he was appointed at Sepha.

In turn, Concern Granit's lawful interception system is potentially due to be supplied to the Saudi intelligence services, the General Intelligence Presidency (GIP), and the Presidency of State Security (PSS).

However, the Russian-directed-Saudi-founded firm is also conducting talks to obtain the Verona open source intelligence, or OSINT, gathering and processing system made by Rosoboronexport, which was revealed at the Russian Army Expo in Moscow last August.

According to Intelligence Online, is debating the possibility of adding Moscow-made white-label forensic tools to its catalog but there currently is no buyer to satisfy the demand.

The tools that Sepha is aiming to obtain from Russian manufacturers include but are not limited to surveillance equipment such as camouflaged audio transmitters and through-wall listening devices.

On the other hand, these developments go against the desires of the American consultants of Scopa, another Ajlan & Bros defense firm that was once focused on NATO countries and now has shifted more towards Russian and Chinese direction. According to Intelligence Online, the US branch of Scopa Industries, which intended to build foreign military materiel on Saudi soil, shut down on February 26.

TAL, the third defense firm under the parent company dedicated to China, was also targeted by American anger. TAL is currently discussing options to purchase communications and Earth observation satellites from defense giant Norinco.

Sepha and TAL were said to have dealt secret partnerships with companies from countries potentially under sanctions, after convincing several US executives to resign. OFAC, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, and DDTC, the US Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, were informed afterward.