On Friday the Customs office in Frankfurt raided and searched 24 residential and business premises mostly in Offenbach am Main and Aschaffenburg although Customs said the network extended across Germany. Four individuals were arrested. The actions were part of an investigation into the suspected export of luxury cars to Russia in breach of EU sanctions.
The individuals arrested were aged between 39 and 44 with one woman and three men.
The allegation is that 170 luxury cars had been exported since 2022.
Five cars were seized as part of the raids along with evidence and €300,000 in cash. In addition a freezing order was obtained over €13.3m in bank accounts said to be the profits from the enterprise.
The German authorities have been particularly active in enforcement related to luxury cars of late:
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- 28 June: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2024/06/28/germany-raids-on-seven-premises-as-part-of-sanctions-investigation-into-car-exports/
- 7 June: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2024/06/07/germany-raids-on-luxury-car-exporters-to-russia/
- 8 May: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2024/05/08/germany-individual-convicted-for-exporting-luxury-cars-to-russia-in-breach-of-eu-sanctions/
- 6 March: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2024/03/06/germany-three-arrested-for-exporting-luxury-cars-in-breach-of-russian-sanctions/
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