The UK’s National Crime Agency has announced the arrest of three individuals on suspicion of various offences including sanctions breaches.
The individuals were not named.
UK – National Crime Agency claims 100 “disruptions”
The National Crime Agency has today claimed to have undertaken 100 “disruptions” since the uptick in Russian sanctions following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The NCA stated:
“To date, the NCA has secured nearly 100 disruptions – actions that demonstrably remove or reduce a criminal threat – against Putin-linked elites and their enablers.
These include a number of Account Freezing Orders (AFOs) over accounts held by individuals who are closely linked to sanctioned Russians. The Cell has also investigated and taken discreet action against a significant number of elites who impact directly on the UK, as well as targeting less conventional routes used to disguise movements of significant wealth, such as high value asset sales via auction houses.
Internationally, the NCA’s work has assisted in the freezing of numerous properties, eight yachts and four aircraft, and it continues to work in concert with the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation to ensure that other assets in the UK are frozen, as well as with global partners to target illicit wealth held abroad”.
Germany – conviction for importing timber from Myanmar referred to CJEU
A referral to the Court of Justice of the European Union has revealed a conviction in Germany arising from the importation of timber from Myanmar in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
The defendant was convicted and given a sentence of 19 months in prison and a confiscation order of €3,310,902.98 was imposed as well.
The case has been referred to the CJEU because the defendant argues that the timber in question should properly be seen as having been imported from Taiwan, and not Myanmar, because the timber had been processed in Taiwan.
Update: The CJEU case was registered on 8 February 2023.
Norway – custodial sentence for breach of Iran sanctions
Further to our earlier post, a former university professor in Norway has been convicted of breaching Norway’s Iran sanctions.
The man has been sentenced to 8 months in jail.
The conviction relates to sharing technology without a licence with Iranians.
Romania – fines and confiscations confirmed
The President of Romania’s ANAF (National Agency for Fiscal Administration) has confirmed that ongoing results of the organisation’s sanctions enforcement actions.
Without providing details he stated that fines of 280,000 lei (c. €56,000) had been imposed and amounts of 13.171 million lei (c. €2,650,000) had been confiscated.
No further details on these enforcement actions were published.
Jersey – sanctions investigation raids admitted as unlawful
Further to our earlier post, the Jersey authorities have admitted that the raids conducted in relation to an investigation involving Roman Abramovich had been conducted unlawfully.
Compensation has also been agreed.
UK – law firms being investigated for sanctions breaches
It has been reported today that the UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation and the English Solicitors Regulation Authority are actively investigating a number of law firms for suspected sanctions breaches.
The law firms were not named.
Germany – police raids on bank branches in Frankfurt and Munich
Further to the ongoing German investigation into Alisher Usmanov, the German authorities have conducted searches at two branches of UBS in Frankfurt and Munich.
The authorities stated that no allegations of wrongdoing are being made against the bank or its employees.
Denmark – Crimean sanctions investigation closed
Further to our earlier post of an investigation being commenced into alleged exports to Crimea in breach of sanctions, it is now being reported that the investigation has closed with no further action taken.
The Danish Business Authority is reported to have concluded that the company Grundfos, had no reasonable grounds to suspect that its products were being shipped to Crimea.
Denmark – 12 criminal investigations for sanctions breaches opened
It is being reported that the Danish authorities have opened a number of investigations into suspected breaches of the EU’s sanctions against Russia and Belarus since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Police have confirmed via a Freedom of Information request that they have 12 ongoing investigations.
Separately, the Danish Business Authority has confirmed that they have opened 34 investigations since February 2022.
Of those 23 have closed without further action being taken; 3 were reported to the Police and 2 have been reported to other authorities. A total of 6 investigations remain open.