The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) has today announced a series of six raids and two arrests in Riga which took place on 4 December 2023 in relation to a criminal investigation into a Latvian company suspected of exporting electronic components to Russia.
The goods are reported to have been valued at €500,000.
The company was not named and nor were the individuals.
The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) has announced today that on 13 and 14 October it undertook raids at five premises in Riga collecting evidence and seizing over €500,000 in cash.
The investigation relates to alleged breaches of the EU’s sanctions by supplying resources to the Russian military.
The subject(s) of the investigation were not named.
The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) has announced that it has forwarded a case to the Prosecution Service for the initiation of criminal proceedings relating to the export of luxury goods to Russian in breach of EU sanctions.
The luxury good in question was a car.
In another announcement today, the VDD has announced the referral of another case for prosecution relating to the import of iron and steel products from Belarus in breach of EU sanctions.
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.
The Latvian State Prosecution Service has announced a conviction of a man for importing 13 packages of wooden sleepers and 8kg of nails from Belarus in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
The fine imposed was €6,200. As part of the sentencing the man was prohibited from importing any goods from Belarus for a year.
A co-accused was earlier sentenced to pay a fine of €5,000.
Latvia’s Intelligence Services (the VDD) have arrested a Latvian national, reported as Marat Kasem.
The alleged offence is the provision of “economic resources” to a designated person, or an asset owned or controlled by such a person.
The designated person is Dmitry Kiselev, who is the Director General of Rossiya Segodnya which in turn owns a number of broadcast channels including Sputnik and Baltnews.
Mr Kasem is alleged to have provided the “economic resources” by way of being employed by these channels in Lithuania.
The Latvian VDD (Intelligence Services) have announced that they have referred a case to criminal prosecution relating to the provision of “economic resources to another person, who is subject to EU sanctions”.
No further details of the alleged offending were provided.
The Latvian authorities have announced the prosecution of a man for the attempted export of goods to a company in Russia in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
The exports (described as “conditioning equipment”) were stopped by the Customs Service.
The Latvian authorities have announced the conviction of a man on charges of importing goods from Belarus in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
The goods in question were railway sleepers and 8kg of nails.
The fine imposed was €5,000. No custodial sentence was imposed, but the man was banned from conducting any import business from Belarus for a year.
The US Department of Justice has announced the multiple charges against individuals and companies relating to an attempt to export US-origin industrial equipment (a jig grinder) with military application to Russia.
The companies charged are CNC Weld (incorporated in Latvia) and BY Trade OU (incorporated in Estonia).
Janis Uzbalis, Vadims Ananics, Eriks Mamonovs are three of the individuals. They were arrested in Latvia on 18 October 2022 for extradition to the US.
As part of the same investigation others were arrested in Estonia – see here.
