In line with the parallel example from Lithuania, the Latvian authorities have imposed their first fine for breach of the ban on Russian registered vehicles.
The driver was fined €750 and the car was confiscated.
Latvia – 7789 Russian and Belarusian sanctions breaches detected
The Director of the Customs Administration within the Latvian State Revenue Service (VID) has been reported as saying that a total of 7,789 violations of sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus were detected during 2023.
It is unclear what the Customs Administration did with these detected breaches, and whether those involved were investigated, charged or prosecuted.
We have previously reported that Latvia has, to date, commenced 310 criminal prosecutions and obtained a total of 7 convictions for sanctions offences.
Ireland – four Gardaí investigations into Russian sanctions breaches
It has been reported in Ireland that four suspected breaches of Russian sanctions have been reported to the Gardaí for investigation.
No further details on the investigations or the alleged conduct were reported.
See our earlier post for a case for criminal prosecution being referred by the Gardaí to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Lithuania – first enforcement of ban on Russian vehicles
The Criminal Customs Service of Lithuania has undertaken its first enforcement of the EU sanctions which prevents a Russian-registered car from driving in Lithuania.
The car in question, valued at over €40,000 was confiscated and the driver was fined.
Switzerland – a new criminal investigation for sanctions breaches and a further SECO fine
It is being reported today that the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has commenced a criminal prosecution in a case handed to it from SECO.
Neither the name of the company involved, nor the sector, nor the alleged offences have been made public.
It is also being reported that the Office of the Attorney General has rejected a second case referred to it by SECO.
The same report quotes SECO as saying that it has received 240 reports of possible sanctions breaches and had imposed 10 penalties. As in our earlier post , last month SECO was quoted as saying it had imposed 9 fines, indicating that a further fine has been imposed since. No further details are known of this fine.
France – investigation into bank’s Sudan transactions
It is being reported today that BNP Paribas remains the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Paris Prosecutor’s office in relation to allegations of complicity in crimes against humanity, torture and genocide arising from the financial services it provided to the government of Sudan between 2002 and 2008.
BNP’s Swiss subsidiary is also the subject of the investigation.
BNP Paribas has previously pled guilty to US sanctions charges, and the Swiss regulator FINMA has previously punished BNP Paribas Suisse.
While the relevant limitation period for sanctions offences in France has expired, the case is a reminder that same sanctions breaches can potentially give rise to liability for other offences.
Finland – conviction (and acquittals) for exports to Russia
It has been reported today that French national Gabriel Temin has been convicted in Finland for exporting military goods to Russia in breach of EU sanctions.
He was given a suspended 9-month sentence and fined €11,000.
He was acquitted on a number of other more serious charges, and other defendants were acquitted as well. The prosecution had alleged that nearly 3,000 drones had been exported to Russia, but the court found there was insufficient evidence for this. The sale was to a customer in Kazakhstan and there was only circumstantial evidence that the goods had been retained in transit within Russia.
Germany – two charged for exporting drone components in breach of Russian sanctions
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Germany has charged two individuals (named as Waldemar W. and Natalie S.) with the export of electronic drone components to Russian in breach of EU sanctions.
The components were first imported into Germany and then exported via Kyrgyzstan and Hong-Kong. The charges relates to 54 separate shipments up to March 2023. The shipments date from both before and since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The total value of the components is stated as €875,000.
Waldemar W was the managing director of two involved companies incorporated in Saarland wand Natalie S managed a company in Baden-Württemberg. It is alleged that suppliers were provided with false end-user information which purported to confirm that the goods were to remain in Germany.
Waldemar W. has been in custody since 9 March 2023. Natalie S. was in custody previously but was subsequently released.
Germany – three arrested for exporting luxury cars in breach of Russian sanctions
It is being reported today that officers from the Berlin-Brandenburg Customs Investigation Office and the Berlin State Police conducted raids on seven private and commercial addresses and arrested three people on suspicion of the unlawful export of luxury cars in breach of the EU’s Russian sanctions.
The sanctions prohibit the export of cars valued at more than €50,000.
The allegations relate to the export of 400 cars valued in total at €28 million. The cars are said to have been indirectly exported to Russia via Belarus since June 2022.
Germany – investigation into garage company’s alleged circumvention of Belarus sanctions
The German company Hörmann, which manufactures garages doors, gates and other products, is reported to be under investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s office in Germany. Also being investigated are the Hörmann subsidiaries Alutech Group based in Minsk and Eluteck Investments Limited based in Cyprus.
The company is reported to have denied the allegations which were first by WirtschaftsWoche in January 2024.
The allegations relate to the alleged importation of sanctioned goods from Belarus via Russia for the time when the products in question were prohibited from Belarus but were not prohibited imports from Russia.