Export Controls – Page 6 – European Sanctions Enforcement

September 14, 2021March 6, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany – arrest and raids over nuclear equipment exports to Iran

It has been reported today that the German authorities have conducted raids on 11 premises across Hamburg, Schleswig Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, and that one individual (named only as Alexander J) has been arrested on suspicion of the unlawful export of machinery and equipment to Iran in breach of the EU’s sanctions.

The products were alleged to have been destined for Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and to have been valued at over €1.1 million.

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office press release is here.

July 13, 2021March 7, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany – €11 million confiscation for unlicensed exports upheld on appeal

The German Federal Court of Justice has upheld the confiscation of €11 million imposed on Sig Sauer for unlicensed exports of small arms to Colombia.

See our earlier post, for the original fine from 2019.

The exports were made as part fulfilment of a contract by the US government to supply weapons to the Colombian police, but the necessary export licences were not obtained from the German authorities.

The judgment is available here.

May 18, 2021March 6, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany – arrests for dual-use exports to Russia

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office has issued a press release announcing the arrest of an individual Alexander S on charges of exporting dual-use goods to military recipients in Russian in breach of EU sanctions.

Although the press release does not state as much, it is likely that this individual is the same as is already facing charges relating to earlier exports.

The arrest warrant alleges the export of dual-use high-quality machine tools to an end customer in the Russian defence sector.

May 7, 2021March 7, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany – appeal orders prosecution for chemical exports to proceed

We reported in an earlier post that an investigation had been opened in Germany in 2018 in relation to suspected unlawful chemical exports to Japan and United States.

Since then in February 2021 the Regional Court in Oldenburg had ruled that the prosecution of three individuals at VET Pharma Freisoythe GmbH could not proceed based on a technical issue with the implementation of the EU Anti-Torture Regulation into German law.

The prosecutor’s office appealed, and the Higher Regional Court has upheld that appeal and ordered the prosecution to proceed.

The judgment is available here.

March 30, 2021January 11, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany – earlier convictions for illegal arms exports upheld

Further to an earlier post, the German Federal Court of Justice has today upheld an earlier conviction of two individuals and a company for unlawful exports of assault rifles to Mexico.

The company, Heckler & Koch, had appealed the earlier judgment and the confiscation of its gross profits from the sales. The two convicted individuals had also appealed.

The Federal Court has upheld the earlier judgment finding that the company had falsified export licence applications to mask the final destination for the weapons.

March 4, 2021January 11, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany – convictions and fines for Russian exports

Further to our earlier post, it has been reported today that the Higher Regional Court in Hamburg has sentenced two men to prison for supplying machine tools to a Russian arms company.

The first defendant received a sentence of three years and nine months. In addition, almost €8 million in profits from the sale of the machinery will be confiscated

The second defendant was sentenced to two years’ probation for aiding and abetting with a payment of €150,000 to secure that probation. A further €184,000 are to be confiscated.

November 24, 2020March 15, 2024 by Mark Handley

UK: HMRC fines 19 companies for export controls violations

Today the UK government announced compound penalties of £700,386.01 imposed for breaches of the UK’s export controls.

The announcement from the Export Control Joint Unit provides little detail, but there were 19 settlements in all with the individual penalties ranging from £1,000 to £211,250.

The exports were of dual-use goods and military goods.

This announcement is in line with the HMRC’s policy of entering into civil settlements using its compounding powers, and with anonymised publication of the details.

November 12, 2020January 11, 2024 by Mark Handley

Denmark – charges for breach of Syrian sanctions

Denmark’s financial crimes unit on Wednesday announced charges against a Danish company suspected of violating EU sanctions on Syria by delivering large quantities of fuel to Russian warplanes there.

The 33 transactions, involving 172,000 tonnes of kerosene, carried out between 2015 and 2017, amounted to 647 million kroner (87 million euros, $102 million), according to the Danish State Prosecutor.

Danish media has reported the company as Dan-Bunkering. A holding company and the director of one of the companies involved are also being prosecuted.

October 20, 2020March 6, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany – charges for dual-use exports to Russia

Further to our earlier post, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office has issued a press release confirming that charges have now been laid against two individuals – Alexander S. and Alexander O.

The allegations relate to the export of machine tool to a Russian state-owned arms company valued at €8 million between January 2016 and January 2018.

The customer is also said to be a designated person under EU regulation 269/2014.

February 13, 2020January 11, 2024 by Mark Handley

Germany arrests man for Russian sanctions violation

It has been reported today that customs officials in the Bavarian city of Augsburg have today arrested Alexander S. on suspicion of exporting machinery to Russia in breach of the EU’s trade sanctions.

Premises have been raided in Bavaria, Saxony and Berlin.

The exports are alleged to have valued over €8m and to have taken place between 2016 and 2018 to military end users.

The allegations include the provision of false information to try and optain export permits.