Germany – company fined €3.7 million for illegal arms exports

The German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch has today been fined €3.7 million for illegal arms exports to Mexico.

The conviction relates to the export of over 4,000 assault rifles and other weapons and ammunition. The fine included confiscation of the gross profits from the sales.

Two Heckler & Koch employees were also convicted and given suspended prison sentences of 17 and 22 months respectively.

Netherlands – two companies and three individuals convicted of Iran exports

The Dutch District Court in Limburg has convicted two companies and three individuals of unlicensed exports of gas turbine machinery to Iran.

The companies were Euroturbine BV, and its Bahraini subsidiary, and they were fined €500,000 and €350,000 respectively.

The exports were routed via indirect channels to and mask the destination.

The individuals were respectively sentenced to 12 months in jail, of which 11 months were suspended and 240 hours of community service; 8 months in jail, of which 7 months were suspended and a community service of 200 hours. The third individual , a company employee, was sentenced to 180 hours of community service.

A fourth individual had earlier pled guilty and been sentenced to 120 hours of community service.

Belgium – convictions for breaching Syrian sanctions

It was reported today that the Penal Court of Antwerp has convicted three Belgian  companies and associated individuals of breaching the EU’s Syrian sanctions by exporting 168 tons of isopropranol which is a dual-use product.

AAE Chemie Trading was conditionally fined €346,443 with €50,000 effective. Anex Customs was fined €500,000 of which €100,000 is effective and Danmar Logistics were fined between €75,000 of which €50,000 is effective

Rolf Rippen, the manager of AAE Chemie Trading was sentenced to four months in jail suspended, while Herman Van Landeghem, a manager of Anex Customs and Danmar Logistics, received a 12-month custodial sentence.

UK – three convicted of exporting military goods to Iran

Following a trial at Southwark Crown Court three individuals have been convicted of exporting parts for military aircraft to Iran in breach of sanctions.

Alexander George was given a custodial sentence of 2 and a half years, while Paul Attwater and Iris Attwater were sentenced to suspended sixth months in prison.

The shipments were sent in the name of a BVI company, via, Netherlands, Malaysia and Dubai, but were destined for Iran.

 

Netherlands – company convicted of breach of Russian sanctions

The District Court of Amsterdam has convicted a company on multiple charges of exporting military goods for a Russian end user. The intended Russian recipient of the exports was named as JSC Global Security, but the name of the convicted Dutch company was anonymised.

The goods  (mostly bullet proof vests and other military equipment) were stopped at Schiphol airport and had been brought from South Africa.

The company was fined €30,000 (half suspended for 2 years).

Germany – investigation opened into suspected illegal chemical exports

The prosecutor’s office in Oldenburg has opened an investigation into VET Pharma Friesoythe GmbH for suspected illegal exports of a controlled chemical to Japan and United States.

The chemical is used to put down dogs, but can also be used for lethal injections. A such it is tightly regulated.

The exports are alleged to have taken place in 2017 and 2018 and to not have been properly licenced.

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