Denmark – three charged in relation to alleged arms exports to Russia

It is being reported that the NSK – Denmark’s National Unit for Serious Crime is investigating allegations that a Danish arms manufacturer has been exporting arms to Russia in breach of the EU’s sanctions.

The company, and the company’s CFO and CEO are all reported to have been charged on suspicion of exports to a Russian arms manufacturer.

The company successfully applied to the court for a ban on being named in the press.

The allegations include the setting up of a bespoke corporate structure to conduct the exports via third countries.

Netherlands – arrests and raids regarding Russian sanctions

It has been reported today that the Dutch authorities, after a tip-off from unnamed US “agencies” have conducted searches at homes and business addresses in Sluis and Rotterdam.

Related search and arrests took place in the Belgium (see our related post) at the same time, and in total across both countries six have been arrested.

The allegations relate to the export of products and technology to Russia.

Belgium – raids and arrests for Russian sanctions

It has been reported today that the Belgian authorities, after a tip-off from unnamed US “agencies” have conducted searches at homes and business addresses in Knokke-Heist and Eeklo.

The Belgian government announcement is here.

Related search and arrests took place in the Netherlands (see our related post) at the same time, and in total across both countries six have been arrested, four of whom were arrested in Belgium

The allegations relate to the export of products and technology to Russia.

Finland – charges coming for 6 for Russian sanctions breaches

It has been reported today that Finnish Customs are preparing to charge six with Russian sanctions offences.

The activities relate to two Finnish companies suspected of exporting microcontrollers and semi-conductors valued at more than €600,000 to Russia, as well as nearly 3,500 drones value at over €2 million.

The investigation is said to have also involved the authorities from the Netherlands, the UK, the US, as well as Europol and Finland’s Security and Intelligence Service.

UK – HMRC imposes three compound penalties for exports

The UK’s HMRC has today announced three new compound penalties imposed on experts for unlawful exports.

The first penalty was £67,000.31 imposed for the attempted export of goods in breach of the UK’s Russian sanctions. The person or company involved was not named.

The second penalty was for £1,000 and the attempted unlicensed export of dual-use goods. Again the penalised company was not named.

The third penalty was for £9,088.99 for exporting dual-use goods without a licence. This too was anonymised.

Lithuania – investigation commenced into car exports

Following a report by the Lithuanian state-owned railway company to the Prosecutor General’s Office, an investigation has been commenced into suspected illegal exports of goods to Russia.

The railway announced the suspension of the transport of luxury cars as part of its efforts to reduce the risk of sanctions breaches.

The report to the Prosecutor was focussed on the activities of four companies and the transshipment of cars to Russia via other neighbouring countries.

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.

Netherlands: two arrested including Ministry of Defence official for sanctions offences

The Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service has announced the arrest of an employee of the Ministry of Defence on suspicion of exporting aircraft spare parts through various companies and countries to Russian in breach of the EU’s sanctions.

The announcement confirms that this is the second arrest in the same investigation with an earlier arrest and raid conducted on 29 August 2023.

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.

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