European Sanctions Enforcement – milestone of over 2000 announced and active investigations reached

With the recent news that Finland has increased the number of its ongoing investigations, Europe (meaning the EU, the UK, Switzerland, etc) has reached the milestone of over 2,000 ongoing and public sanctions enforcement investigations being undertaken by regulators and prosecutors.

No doubt there are other investigations which are ongoing in the countries shown on the graph, and no doubt there are investigations ongoing in countries not shown and which remain confidential.

How many of these will be dropped due to inconclusive evidence or exculpatory evidence, and how many will lead to a conviction or fine or acquittal is impossible to say.

It is, without question, an unprecedented level of enforcement.

 

Lithuania – Customs Department launches investigation into exports to Russia

Following press reporting into allegations that the Viciūnai Group of companies were exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, it is now being reported that the Lithuanian Customs Department has commenced a pre-trial investigation.

The allegations include that dual use and “battlefield” goods were being exported to a factory in Kaliningrad operated by a related company.

It is reported that the company has confirmed the fact of the exports, but claims that it was not aware that the goods in question (which includes ball bearings, semi-conductors, electrical components and other goods) were subject to sanctions.

 

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.

Lithuanian authorities commence criminal investigations into 9 companies and 95 investigations

It was reported today, that the Lithuanian State Consumer Rights Protection Authority has undertaken investigations into 95 Lithuanian companies on suspicion of importing Russian timber products in breach of current Russian and Belarusian sanctions.

The allegation is that the goods were being mislabelled as being of Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan origin.

Of those companies investigated nine have now been reported to prosecutors.

Lithuania – investigation into breach of Belarus sanctions

The Lithuanian authorities are investigating allegations of the import of urea from the Belarus company Grodno Azot (designated under Belarus sanctions).

Searches have been conducted at a number of locations and 3000 tonnes of urea has been seized valued at several million euros.

The imports are alleged to have been conducted by two companies and involved the relabelling of the product as if it had been produced by another supplier and not Grodno Azot.

Lithuania – prosecutors commence investigation into possible Crimean sanctions breaches

The Lithuanian Prosecutor General’s Office has announced that the Lithuanian Financial Crime Investigation Service has opened an investigation into alleged breaches of the EU’s Crimean sanctions by three different enterprises:

a) two Lithuanian companies: BT Invest, and Hanner Group OÜ; and

b) one Crimean company owned by a Lithuanian: Pluošto Linija LLC.

It is understood that the allegation relate to investments and business dealings by Lithuanian nationals in Crimean companies and property developments in breach of the EU’s sanctions against Crimea.

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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