Belarus – Page 3 – European Sanctions Enforcement

March 14, 2024 by Mark Handley

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.

March 5, 2024May 3, 2024 by Mark Handley

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.

March 1, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany – prosecution into alleged timber imports from Belarus

Comments by a United Nations rapporteur have revealed an ongoing criminal investigation into imports of timber products from Belarus allegedly in breach of EU sanctions.

The case was referred to prosecutors by the German customs authorities and raids were conducted in March 2023, and further investigatory steps have taken place this month.

The individual charged is Alena Bekker and the importing company was Texforum-Interhandel e.K.

Both appear to deny the allegations in part on the basis that the imports were done in accordance with grand-fathering provisions when the Belarus timber ban was introduced.

February 9, 2024March 19, 2024 by Mark Handley

Latvia – further sanctions enforcement statistics including seven convictions

The Latvian authorities have provided a further update to their enforcement efforts. As reported:

- 281 sanctions-related suspicious activity reports in 2022
- 510 sanctions-related suspicious activity reports in 2023
- 310 criminal cases commenced
- 22 prosecutions in which the trial has started
- 7 convictions to date.

Of the convictions, all involved guilty pleas and all involved Latvian nationals. The highest penalty related to the export of a luxury car, and the fine was €170,000.

The conduct prosecuted included in relation to the sale of a professional footballer to a club owned by a company designated under Belarus sanctions, and the provision of content to the Russian Federal News Agency.

UPDATE: It has now (18 March 2024) been reported that the fine imposed in relation to providing economic resources to the Russian news agency in the form of employment services, was €15,500.

January 25, 2024 by Mark Handley

Latvia – announcement of 258 ongoing criminal prosecutions

In an earlier post we reported that the Latvian authorities had 14 ongoing criminal prosecutions.

This morning, Raimonds Zukuls of the Latvian State Revenue Service has given an interview announcing that 114 criminal cases were opened during 2022 and a further 144 cases were opened during 2023.

These cases all concern the EU’s Russian and Belarusian sanctions. It was also said that most cases relate to electrical goods, car parts, luxury goods, timber products, fuel, fodder and metal products.

It was also stated that over 5,000 imports/exports had been stopped by the State Revenue Service.

January 19, 2024December 9, 2024 by Mark Handley

Denmark – Danish FSA concludes investigation into payment services provider

The Danish FSA has issued a press release stating that an investigation it commenced into Nets Danmark A/S, has not resulted in a need for any further regulatory action to be taken.

The investigation was commenced in May 2023 and related to compliance with EU sanctions in general and Russian and Belarusian sanctions in particular.

September 26, 2023January 11, 2024 by Mark Handley

Netherlands announce 55 ongoing criminal investigations

The Dutch have announced that the Public Prosecution Service is currently undertaking 55 criminal investigations into suspected breaches of Russian and Belarusian sanctions.

Little information on the breaches is available, but the authorities have stated that roughly two thirds relate to breaches of trade sanctions, and one third to financial sanctions.

As of December the number was at 27, meaning 28 have been added during 2023 to date.

September 18, 2023February 27, 2024 by Mark Handley

Latvia – two prosecutions for Russian and Belarusian sanctions breaches

The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) has announced that it has forwarded a case to the Prosecution Service for the initiation of criminal proceedings relating to the export of luxury goods to Russian in breach of EU sanctions.

The luxury good in question was a car.

In another announcement today, the VDD has announced the referral of another case for prosecution relating to the import of iron and steel products from Belarus in breach of EU sanctions.

September 12, 2023January 11, 2024 by Mark Handley

Latvian enforcement: 14 ongoing criminal prosecutions

In response to questions about Russian sanctions enforcement the Latvian authorities have confirmed that they have 14 ongoing criminal prosecutions of which three relate to exports, including circumvention of sanctions by routing exports through China and central Asia, and the others to breaches of financial sanctions.

The Latvian authorities also stated they received 281 suspicious activity reports during 2022 in relation to Russian sanctions, and had received 309 so far in 2023.

May 29, 2023March 19, 2024 by Mark Handley

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.