It was reported today by Reuters that there are 150 ongoing sanctions investigations being undertaken in Germany.
No further details were published.
Germany – conviction for exporting drone parts to Russia
It is being reported (behind a paywall) that an individual has been convicted by the Koblenz Regional Court for exporting engines for the “Altius” drones to Russia in breach of EU sanctions.
The 62-year old unidentified individual was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
Arrest in Germany for exporting dual-use goods to Russia
It has been reported today that the German authorities have arrested a German national on suspicion of exporting dual-use goods to Russia.
The goods were being exported to a Russian arms manufacturer via either Switzerland or Lithuania, and were valued at over 2 million euros, and were being used to manufacture sniper rifles.
The suspect, named as Ulli S, was first arrested in France and then extradited to Germany under a European arrest warrant.
Germany: BaFin investigating German bank over Iran sanctions
The German financial services regulator, BaFin, has issued a press release confirming an investigation into the money laundering and sanctions compliance of the bank Varengold Bank AG. The particular focus is Iran sanctions.
BaFin has prohibited the bank from processing payment transactions involving Iran, or person or companies resident in Iran. BaFin has also appointed a representative to oversee compliance with this prohibition.
Germany – four charged with software exports to Turkey
The Public Prosecutor in Munich has today announced the prosecution of four unnamed individuals in relation to the unlicensed exports of surveillance software to Turkey.
The alleged exporting company is the FinFisher Group. It is alleged that export documents were falsified to mask the destination of the goods.
The investigation has included cooperation with Sweden, Cyprus, Malaysia, Bulgaria and Romania.
Germany – company fined €1.3m for export of machinery to Russia
It has been reported today that a German company from Schleswig-Holstein has been convicted of breaching the EU’s sanctions against Russia for the illegal export of machinery that was used to help build the Kerch bridge.
The equipment was a hydraulic hammer used for driving in the piles for the bridge. The fine was imposed by the District Court in Kiel.
Germany – three companies raided
It was reported today that the German authorities have conducted raids in relation to three companies alleged to have made illegal exports to Russian in breach of EU sanctions. Private residences were also raided.
The authorities have not named the companies, but reports suggest one was Smart Impex GmbH which is alleged to have shipped goods destined for Russia via Turkey.
Germany – conviction for exporting cash to Russia
An individual has today been convicted of exporting €11,000 in physical currency from Germany to Russia in breach of Art 5(i)1 of EU Regulation 833/2014.
The individual asserted that he was carrying the currency for the purposes of receiving dental treatment in Kaliningrad.
The judgment takes the view that the exception permitting some cash to be carried “should … be interpreted narrowly”, and that the Commission’s FAQs are a means of discerning the intention of the legislator.
He was fined €4,500 and the balance of the cash above the €500 threshold was confiscated.
Germany – conviction for importing timber from Myanmar referred to CJEU
A referral to the Court of Justice of the European Union has revealed a conviction in Germany arising from the importation of timber from Myanmar in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
The defendant was convicted and given a sentence of 19 months in prison and a confiscation order of €3,310,902.98 was imposed as well.
The case has been referred to the CJEU because the defendant argues that the timber in question should properly be seen as having been imported from Taiwan, and not Myanmar, because the timber had been processed in Taiwan.
Update: The CJEU case was registered on 8 February 2023.
Germany – police raids on bank branches in Frankfurt and Munich
Further to the ongoing German investigation into Alisher Usmanov, the German authorities have conducted searches at two branches of UBS in Frankfurt and Munich.
The authorities stated that no allegations of wrongdoing are being made against the bank or its employees.