It has been reported today that the Czech authorities are currently investigating the activities of the Czech company Labara. It is suspected that the company has been exporting machinery which can be used for the manufacture of weaponry to Russia via Turkey.
Netherlands – arrest on suspicion of breach of Sanctions Act
The Dutch authorities have conducted searches at residential and business premises in Oegstgeest, The Hague and Haarlemmermeer and arrested a 73-year old on suspicion of breaching the EU’s sanctions against Russia.
The man is alleged to have transferred shares in return for payment and paid €19 million in dividends to a Russian company owned or controlled by a designated person under the EU’s sanctions.
Lithuanian authorities commence criminal investigations into 9 companies and 95 investigations
It was reported today, that the Lithuanian State Consumer Rights Protection Authority has undertaken investigations into 95 Lithuanian companies on suspicion of importing Russian timber products in breach of current Russian and Belarusian sanctions.
The allegation is that the goods were being mislabelled as being of Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan origin.
Of those companies investigated nine have now been reported to prosecutors.
UK – company pleads guilty to unlawful export of chemicals
It has been announced today that a British company has pleaded guilty to one count of the attempted export of a controlled chemical which is classified as a dual use good.
The company was fined just £600 plus £2,659.5 in costs.
While HMRC did not name the company, it is being reported that the company was VWR International Limited, and that the export was bound for Pakistan.
For an earlier fine imposed on VWR see our previous post.
UK – HMRC fines four companies over £1.1m for exports
The UK’s HMRC has today announced compound penalties imposed on four exporters. Two related to military goods and two to dual-use goods.
The exporters were not named.
The penalties imposed were:
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- £4,100
- £2,912.16
- £217,012.50
- £920,437.20
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Germany – four charged with software exports to Turkey
The Public Prosecutor in Munich has today announced the prosecution of four unnamed individuals in relation to the unlicensed exports of surveillance software to Turkey.
The alleged exporting company is the FinFisher Group. It is alleged that export documents were falsified to mask the destination of the goods.
The investigation has included cooperation with Sweden, Cyprus, Malaysia, Bulgaria and Romania.
Switzerland – revised enforcement statistics: 130 cases
Further to our earlier post that the Swiss had nearly 100 sanctions investigations, the Swiss authorities have provided an update.
The number of investigations conducted by SECO (the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) is now 130, with 29 of those referred for criminal prosecution.
Latvia – conviction and fine for imports in breach of Belarus sanctions
The Latvian State Prosecution Service has announced a conviction of a man for importing 13 packages of wooden sleepers and 8kg of nails from Belarus in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
The fine imposed was €6,200. As part of the sentencing the man was prohibited from importing any goods from Belarus for a year.
A co-accused was earlier sentenced to pay a fine of €5,000.
Ireland – case referred for criminal prosecution for breach of Russian sanctions
Malta – company and director acquitted of breach of Russian sanctions
It has been reported today that a prosecution in Malta for allegedly breaching the EU’s sanctions against Russia has ended in acquittal.
The investigation commenced in 2019 after a bank submitted a suspicious activity report.
The transaction at the heart of the case was the export of 142 pallets of ammunition from Russia to Morocco via a Maltese company; Donna Shipping Company Limited.
The company and one of its directors, Karl David Mallia, a qualified accountant were both prosecuted, but not any of the other directors of the company.
The court held that there was insufficient evidence that Mallia had been involved in the particular transaction.