Infrastructure and Transport (including energy) – European Sanctions Enforcement

June 8, 2026June 8, 2026 by Mark Handley

Netherlands – Customs launch major investigation into vessel exporting to Russia

It is being reported that Dutch Customs have launched a major investigation includes raids on premises in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, searches on board a container vessel and the arrest and detention of the captain.

The vessel in question routinely sails between St Petersburg and Rotterdam. Dozens of containers on board the vessel have been found with goods suspected of breaching the EU’s sanctions. The containers are said to show signs of attempts to conceal the contents.

Of the goods identified, the containers carried large quantities of car parts which can be used in passenger vehicles as well as trucks. Also found was motor oil.

The same report also indicates that the investigations continue into: i) a company suspected of sanctioned imports of timber (see our earlier post), with the report noting that trial is anticipated in 2027); and ii) the company suspected of supplying goods and services to shadow fleet vessels (see our earlier post).

June 8, 2026June 8, 2026 by Mark Handley

Georgia – arrest of Russian national for extradition to the US to face sanctions charges

It is being reported that Russian national Tatiana Kurashkevich has been arrested and detained on arrival in Tbilisi airport in Georgia.

Detention has been ordered for three months and she faces extradition to the US where she is suspected of a role in the export of aircraft parts to Russian in breach of US sanctions. The maximum sentence in the US is reported to be 70 years.

June 8, 2026June 8, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – seizure of detained cargo vessel confirmed with transfer to Ukraine approved

Further to our earlier post, the Swedish courts have ordered the formal seizure of the cargo ship the Caffa. It is alleged that this vessel was used to carry grain from territory formerly controlled by Ukraine and now occupied by Russian forces.

Reuters has also reported that the Court has ruled that title to the vessel may now be transferred to Ukraine on the basis that the alleged behaviour of shipping grain from Ukraine may constitute a war crime under Swedish law.

June 4, 2026June 4, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – captain of the sanctioned Tagor tanker arrested and under investigation

Further to our recent post on the seizure of the shadow fleet tanker, the Tagor, it has now been announced that that the vessel’s captain was arrested on 2 June, and was released from detention yesterday.

The captain has not been charged but investigations are ongoing. The prosecutor’s in the town of Brest is reported to have said the captain may face a custodial sentence of up to a year.

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – seizure of sanctioned oil tanker, the Tagor

French President Macron has announced the seizure yesterday of the tanker the Tagor in the Atlantic. The British Royal Navy provided support.

It is reported that the vessel was en route from Murmansk, and so was presumably carrying cargo.

The vessel was in international waters some 400 nautical miles west of France, and is suspected of sailing under a false flag.

We have updated our Vessel Seizure tracker – here.

May 20, 2026May 20, 2026 by Mark Handley

Finland – investigation into exports of 135 trucks to Russia referred to prosecution and Customs’ updated recent enforcement statistics

Further to our earlier post, Finnish Customs has issued a press release relating to the conclusion of an investigation, that is now being forwarded to the Prosecution District of Eastern Finland for criminal prosecution.

The investigation alleges the prohibited export of 135 trucks and 29 trailers to Russia in breach of the EU’s sanctions. The vehicles are said to be valued at €17.5 million.

The Finnish exporting company declared that the exports were bound for Kazakhstan and Turkey via Russia, but the investigation showed the vehicle remained in Russia.

The same press release gives updated statistics on Finnish Customs’ recent enforcement activity with 58 cases between the start of 2025 and March 2026.

In 2025 the following offences (which are of differing levels of severity) were registered:

26 non-aggravated regulation offences;
17 aggravated regulation offences; and
3 non-aggravated sanctions offences.

Between January and March 2026 Customs registered the following:

2 non-aggravated regulation offences;
6 aggravated regulation offences;
1 non-aggravated sanctions offence; and
3 aggravated sanctions offences.

May 18, 2026May 18, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – further arrest relating to the detention of the oil tanker “Sea Owl I”

Further to our earlier post from March regarding Sweden’s seizure of the Sea Owl I, Sweden’s Coast Guard has issued an update.

At the time of the seizure the flag was purporting to be Comorian flagged, but the Swedish authorities doubted the validity of that registration.

Following the seizure the vessel purported to re-register with another flag state. The Coast Guard’s update is reporting that a second crew member has now been arrested on suspicion of using false documents relating to the purported re-registration of the vessel.

May 6, 2026May 6, 2026 by Mark Handley

Netherlands – confiscation orders issued against company and individual convicted in 2024 of sanctions offences

Further to an earlier post relating to convictions of an individual and company obtained in October 2024 for supplying aircraft parts to Russian customers in breach of the EU’s sanctions, the Rotterdam Court has now ruled in the confiscation proceedings brought by the prosecution.

In the confiscation judgement against the (unnamed) company, the court ordered the confiscation of €165,826.

The court held that the revenue obtained from the sanctions breaches was €2,901,194, but allowed as “deductible costs” 82% of this amount, or €2,385,739. This is in line with the Dutch approach of allowing the convicted parties to break even on the unlawful transactions by confiscating not the illegally-obtained revenue (which the CJEU has held is a permissible approach), but rather the pure profit element.

The profit element was accordingly assessed as €515,455 which was divided between the convicted person and the convicted company.

In the second confiscation judgment against the individual, the same analysis was undertaken with the balance of €349,629 from the profits attributed to the individual. The judgment states that a further 599 days of jail time would be added to the existing sentence in the event that the confiscation order is not satisfied.

May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 by Mark Handley

Denmark – company self reports to Danish Business Authority for possible sanctions breaches

Danish company FLSmidth & Co A/S has issued a press release stating that it has self-reported the outcome of an internal investigation to both OFAC and the Danish Business Authority and will cooperate with the authorities.

The press release states that the internal investigation ” identified information indicating that certain pre-contract tender materials have been provided to persons in the Russian Federation in connection with a limited number of potential projects in Kazakhstan”.

The press release adds that as a result of the internal investigation the company is “in the process of reviewing and enhancing its compliance programme and risk management measures as well as other mitigating action”.

May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 by Mark Handley

Sweden – Chinese captain of Syrian-flagged ship the Jin Hui arrested and ship detained

On Sunday Sweden’s Prosecutors announced the arrest of a Chinese national who was the captain of the Syrian-flagged vessel suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet, the Jin Hui.

The particular offences forming the basis for the captain’s arrest are the use of false documents and suspected violations of the Maritime Act in relation to seaworthiness.

The vessel is reported to have been in Swedish territorial waters at the time it was detained and is now anchored off Trelleborg.