Denmark – European Sanctions Enforcement

March 2, 2026March 2, 2026 by Mark Handley

Denmark – container vessel detained for unclear flag status

The Danish Maritime Authority detained the container vessel the Nora on 20 February.

When the vessel first dropped anchor in Danish waters it was flying a Comorian flag. It is reported that upon investigations by the Danish government the Comorros registry then denied that the vessel was flagged there, leading to the Danish detention of the vessel.

The vessel, sanctioned by the US under its Iran sanctions and formerly named the Cerus, is reported to now be flying the flag of Iran. The same vessel is sanctioned by Ukraine under its Russian sanctions

October 27, 2025October 27, 2025 by Mark Handley

Denmark – corporate fine for abortive sales of sanctioned equipment to Russia

Further to our post last week, the Danish company Alfa Laval has been fined DKK 100,000 (€13,300) after a guilty please for breaches of the EU’s sanctions against Russia.

The fine relates to spare parts for a centrifuge said to be valued at just over DKK 500,000, with two sales between 3 June and 2 August 2022 being entered into with a “sister company in Russia”.

The reporting states, however, that the equipment was not actually shipped to Russia, nor payment received, with the company describing the conduct as the result of “human error”.

Since the goods in question were not supplied, transferred or exported, at this stage it is unclear exactly what the company was charged with and whether the prosecution took the view that a “sale” of the goods was completed even without delivery or payment, or whether the agreements to sell constituted an attempt or conspiracy-style offence.

This is the first example of a conviction or fine by Denmark under the EU’s Russian sanctions.

October 22, 2025October 22, 2025 by Mark Handley

Denmark – 18 charges for Russian sanctions offences

It is being reported (here – behind a paywall), that the Danish National Police have provided confirmation of the total number of criminal charges for breaches of the EU’s Russian sanctions.

The report states that, to date, 7 individuals and 11 companies have been charged with Russian sanctions offences.

From what is in front of the paywall no other information is available on these charges or their outcomes.

October 22, 2025October 27, 2025 by Mark Handley

Denmark – engineering company to plead guilty to Russian sanctions breach

It is being reported (behind a paywall) that Danish engineering company Alfa Laval will plead guilty to a violation of the EU’s sanctions against Russia at a hearing due to take place later this week.

Reporting states that the company has ascribed the breaches to “human error”.

The press is citing an expected corporate fine of DKK 100,000 (€13,300), but is unclear if this has been the subject of an agreement.

September 18, 2025September 18, 2025 by Mark Handley

Denmark – charges for alleged military exports to Russia

It is being reported that the Danish authorities have charged a company and two senior executives with suspected exports of components for military goods to Russia.

The investigation is reported to have started in 2023 and included raids in December of that year. The investigators also obtained permission to obtain phone taps on the phones of the two executives.

The exports are alleged to have been shipped via China.

July 23, 2025July 23, 2025 by Mark Handley

Denmark – raids, arrests and individuals and company charged in Russian sanctions prosecution

After press reporting had published allegations that the Danish paint company Flügger may have been continuing to trade with Russian customers via third countries in breach of EU sanctions, on 26 June the National Unit for Special Crime (NSK) conducted raids on the business premises of Flügger, and the homes of the company’s CEO and CFO.

The CEO and CFO were arrested as part of the raids, and have both been charged with sanctions offences as has the company itself.

The company has issued a press release confirming the investigation and stating that it has been deceived by distributors in Kazakhstan, Estonia, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan.

December 9, 2024December 10, 2024 by Mark Handley

Denmark – sanctions enforcement activity 2022-2024

Presenting a webinar this morning made me aware that this blog had missed a number of stories relating to Danish sanctions enforcement.

I have endeavoured to rectify that gap with a number of posts filling gaps from 2022 through to early 2024. Because I have back-dated the posts so that they appear in the correct sequence it made sense to collect them into a properly new post to highlight the additions.

Importantly, between February 2022 and August 2023 a total of 98 investigations were opened, with 16 referred to the police. In addition the police have charged a company and two individuals in relation to one particular case.

conclusion of a Danish FSA investigation into a payment services provider in January 2024: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2024/01/19/denmark-danish-fsa-concludes-investigation-into-payment-services-provider/
a company and two individuals charged with sanctions offences relating to alleged arms exports to Russia in January 2024: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2024/01/12/denmark-three-charged-in-relation-to-alleged-arms-exports-to-russia/
45 investigations opened between January and August 2023, of which 23 remained open and 2 had been referred to the Police: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2023/08/16/denmark-45-sanctions-investigations-opened-so-far-in-2023/
two Russian designated persons referred to the Police by the Danish Business Authority in January 2023: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2023/01/25/denmark-two-further-sanctions-investigations-referred-to-the-police/
12 criminal cases opened by the police and 34 investigations commenced by the Danish Business Authority between February 2022 and October 2022: https://blogs.duanemorris.com/europeansanctionsenforcement/2022/10/26/denmark-12-criminal-investigations-for-sanctions-breaches-opened/

May 31, 2024 by Mark Handley

Denmark – investigation closes into alleged import of fuel from partly Russian-owned refinery in India

Further to our earlier post regarding an investigation by the Danish Business Authority into allegations that the Danish shipping company Hafnia, was importing refined fuels from a refinery in India that may have been owned or controlled by Rosneft (which is a designated person under the EU’s sanctions), it is now being reported (here – behind a paywall), that the Danish Business Authority has concluded its investigation having determined that it could not establish that there had been a breach of Russian sanctions.

As yet the Danish Business Authority has not issued a statement on its website.

March 15, 2024March 15, 2024 by Mark Handley

European sanctions enforcement: the last two months

This blog has been live now for just over two months.

During that time and by way of recap, a number of states have provided updated enforcement statistics in that period (Finland, Switzerland, Latvia), but the period has also seen a significant volume of new enforcement activity:

Continue reading “European sanctions enforcement: the last two months”

March 4, 2024 by Mark Handley

Denmark – investigation into importation of aviation fuel from India in potential breach of Russian sanctions

It has been reported that the Danish Business Authority is currently investigating the Danish shipping company Hafnia for possible breaches of the EU’s Russian sanctions.

The allegations relate to the importation in October of 30 million litres of aviation fuel from a refinery in India which may be owned or controlled by designated persons.

Hafnia is reported to have denied the allegations and stated that it acts in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.