June 2026 – Page 3 – European Sanctions Enforcement

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026 by Mark Handley

Estonia – sanctions enforcement data since January 2026 for Customs and Tax Board

Collating the outcomes published in the weekly reports by Estonia’s Tax and Customs Board (see our earlier post for the period from 14 October 2025 to 13 January 2026), reveals the following data:

18 fines
total fines of €226,669, with most being small and one of €219,210 including confiscation
13 cases referred to misdemeanour prosecution
3 cases referred to criminal prosecution, including one case that resulted in a 1 year jail term, a 3 year ban on entry to Estonia and a €3400 fine
6 cases referred for further investigation.

The weekly reports give details of many other prevented exports and imports where no further action was taken for first time offenders.

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026 by Mark Handley

Poland – prosecution of group exporting goods to Belarus

It is being reported (here and here) that the Polish authorities have arrested and imposed bail and travel restrictions on several members of a ring suspected of exports of sanctioned goods to Belarus.

Also arrested, and a search conducted at her house, was a Polish Customs official who is alleged to have taken bribes in return for allowing goods to be exported without inspections.

The exporters are said to have used two sets of paperwork, with Polish Customs shown export documents for food and beverage products, and Belarusian customs shown accurate paperwork for the sanctioned spare parts and other engineering products.

The exports are said to have taken placed between June 2025 and April 2026 using the Kukuryki-Kazlovichy border crossing.

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026 by Mark Handley

Germany – trial starts of brothers suspected of Russian exports of engineering equipment

On Friday the trail commenced of two brothers suspected of their role in 65 exports to Russia in the mechanical engineering sector said to be valued at c. €833,000.

The brothers were each managing directors of the exporting company.

A separate prosecution is underway against the father.

The exports to Russia were, it is alleged, masked through exports to shell companies in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan.