The UK’s OFSI has announced a £5,000 monetary penalty imposed on Svarog Shipping & Trading Company Limited.
The fine was for failing to respond to an information request from OFSI in breach of regulation 74(1)(a) of the UK’s Russian sanctions regulation.
The Penalty Notice states that the request for information was made in the context of a wider “large and complex investigation into suspected breaches” of the UK’s sanctions in relation to Sovcomflot. That investigation is, presumably, ongoing.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has announced that it has charged the Dutch shipbuilding company Damen with an offence under the Dutch Sanctiewet. Other (non-sanctions) offences are also alleged.
The alleged breach of sanctions is said to have taken place in 2022 and to have involved exports to Russia of goods and technology.
The company has issued its own release which states in part:
“With regard to the suspicion of violating the Sanctions Act, Damen can report that it has always acted in accordance with the applicable sanctions packages and that full transparency has been exercised about its activities. Damen is therefore surprised that one case from June 2022 is now being submitted to the court. This is a case involving the supply of a very limited number of civilian cranes to Russia. This delivery took place within the sanctions legislation in force at the time”.
Finland’s Customs have issued a press release making public an investigation into the suspected export of technical documents from a nuclear power plant construction project to Russia.
The unnamed manging director of the company responsible for the construction project is identified as the person suspected of the offence.
The press release notes that the investigation is coming to an end and that, as yet, no decision on charging the individual has been made.
On Friday the Estonian Navy has seized an oil tanker (the Kiwala) forming part of the so-called “shadow fleet”. The Kiwala is designated by the EU.
During a routine inspection of the vessel’s documentation, it was determined that the vessel was not validly flagged in any country and did not have valid insurance.
The vessel has been detained pending rectification of the documentation and other safety issues.
It has been reported that police in Oslo are investigating a company called Romarine AS, as well as four individuals (two Norwegians, a Russian and a Bulgarian) relating to the insurance services provided to Russian shadow fleet vessels, and vessels sanctioned by the EU.
The allegations include the provision of faked insurance documentation purporting to show that the vessels had valid insurance, and the provision of unauthorised insurance services.
The Oslo Police were referred the case by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority which has issued an order for Romarine to cease operations.
It is being reported that the Hamburg regional court has ordered that trial should proceed against two of the five individuals who being investigated for alleged exports of machinery to Crimea in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
As per our earlier posts (from 2024 and 2021 and 2018), the investigation relates to power generating turbines exported from Germany. Last year five individuals were charged.
The trial will now proceed against two of these with the court ruling that there was insufficient evidence against the other three. The prosecutor’s office has appealed the decision in relation to the other three.
The District Court in Amsterdam has issued a judgment arising from the export of machinery from the Netherlands to Crimea in 2016 and 2017 for use in the construction of the Kerch Bridge.
The company (a B.V. unnamed in the judgment) reached a settlement with the prosecution, whereby no defence was advanced, no appeal would be lodged, and the company agreed to pay the fine of €120,000.
The court found that the prosecution case was made out, and confirmed the terms of the settlement and the proposed fine.
The judgment does not mention any confiscation of the proceeds of crime.
Judgments have also been released in relation to the related prosecutions of two individuals (here and here), both of whom were acquitted.
It is being reported that the Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service has conducted raids at multiple addresses in Vilnius and Rudamina, has arrested four individuals (2 Belarus nationals and 2 Lithuanian nationals), and seized 33 vehicles valued at €1.5 million.
The vehicles are 17 trucks, 15 semi-trailers and a mini-bus, which are said to have been involved in alleged trade with Russia and Belarus in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
The first round of raids were conducted on 29 January with further raids since then.
It is being reported that the Panama-flagged vessel, the Eventin which has been seized and detained by Germany after it lost power on 10 January, is currently the subject of a sanctions investigation by the General Customs Inspection Office.
The investigation relates to the cargo of 100,000 tons of oil on board.
In a similar story, it is being reported that the Finnish authorities have concluded an investigation into possible sanctions breaches in relation to the Eagle S, the vessel suspected of being involved in disruption to undersea cables.
The Finnish authorities investigated the cargo of unleaded petrol and diesel on board, but determined that as the vessel only entered Finland’s territorial waters at the request of the Finnish authorities it cannot be said to have intentionally violated the prohibitions on the import of Russian oil products.
It is being reported that a Lithuanian-registered aircraft being flown from Latvia to Russia via Finland has been intercepted and detained at Helsinki airport due to suspicions of sanctions evasion.
The pilot of the aircraft has been reported to have been involved in a number of previous alleged aircraft sales to Russian customers.
