It is being reported (here, behind a paywall), the Sweden’s Supreme Court has approved an request for a Russian national to be extradited to the United States to face charges arising from the alleged export of military components to Russia via Hong Kong.
Luxembourg – investigation into alleged Russian sanctions breaches discontinued
Further to our earlier post regarding a Luxembourg investigation into possible EU sanctions breaches by the company Spacety Luxembourg SA, it is now being reported that the Luxembourg authorities have discontinued the investigation.
A government spokesperson is reported to have stated that the investigation was discontinued after several mutual legal assistance requests had been made, but it is unclear whether these requests were refused, and to which countries the requests were sent.
The company was placed into liquidation in October 2025.
Czechia – police refer sanctions evasion case to prosecutors
Further to an earlier post, it is being reported that police investigators from Czechia’s National Centre for Combating Organized Crime, who have been investigating alleged breaches of the asset freeze imposed on a designated person under the EU’s Russian sanctions, have now handed the case file to prosecutors for a final charging decision.
It is alleged that Dmytro Kalantyrskyi conducted multiple transactions in 2015 relating to frozen funds in the value of CZK 96 million (nearly €4m).
Latvia – Customs confiscates €15m in sanctioned goods
A broadcast news story has provided data on the enforcement activity of Latvia’s Customs.
The story reports that:
- roughly twice a week a shipment of sanctioned goods to Russia is stopped;
- 30 cargoes of military goods have been stopped; and
- Customs have confiscated €15m in sanctioned goods through its work at inspections at checkpoints, of which roughly €3m has so far been sold.
The new story does not state over what period the confiscations took place.
UK – OFSI imposes fine of £4.73m on investment bank
The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation has issued a Penalty Notice against Citibank NA in the amount of £4,732,830.58.
This is OFSI’s second largest fine since it was launched.
The fine relates to 970 payments in breach of the UK’s Russian sanctions with a total value of £19,720,127.32 with most of the payments taking place in the months after February 2022.
OFSI have Citibank a 20% voluntary self-disclosure and cooperation credit (and not the permissible 30%). The bank had voluntarily self-reported many of the breaches and payments, but was unaware of £6.9m of the payments being breaches until OFSI started to raise questions.
OFSI also provided Citibank with a 20% discount based on agreeing a settlement, under OFSI’s fairly new settlement methodology.
These discounts, against a starting point where the maximum fine is 50% of the value of the breaches, resulted in the penalty amount. It is worth noting that the new Chancellor has announced plans to increase the maximum fine to 100% of the value of the transfer.
The breaches all related to failings and delay in screening customers, recipients and correspondent banks. While OFSI’s Notice expresses sympathy with the high volume of designations that took place in 2022, it was critical of Citibank’s level of preparedness in the run up to February 2022 and of the high volume of errors including changes in policy that made the prevention of payments more difficult. OFSI also was critical of the time taken for the bank to report that it was holding frozen assets.
EU – further sanctioned oil tanker, the MV Sun, boarded in Mediterranean
Further to our earlier posts (here and here) regarding the tanker boardings by the EU’s operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini, it is being reported that yesterday the same EU operation has boarded the sanctioned tanker MV Sun south of Sicily.
The boarding was conducted by an Italian naval vessel on behalf of the EU operation.
The inspection was to verify and determine the flag status of the vessel, and the vessel does not appear to have been detained.
Georgia – investigation into suspected sanctioned exports to Russia
The Georgian authorities have announced an investigation arising from a Azerbaijani-registered lorry attempting to cross from Turkey into Georgia in July.
The investigation arose from checks carried out at the Sarpi checkpoint. During an inspection of a lorry, the driver declared that the goods were of EU origin and were destined for Russia. The lorry was turned back.
Later the same day the lorry returned to the same checkpoint and this time the goods were accompanied by documents asserting a Turkish origin. Inspection revealed the goods to have had German and Croatian origin.
The case has been referred to the Investigation Service of Georgia’s Ministry of Finance for further action with offences of breaching sanctions and forgery the subject matter of the investigation.
Netherlands – confiscation of proceeds from sanctions breaches reduced on appeal
Further to our earlier post regarding a 2024 conviction and confiscation, the Hague Court of Appeal has ruled on an appeal by the convicted defendants on the quantum of the confiscation.
The revenue from the criminal transactions was €1,924,579.20, with the first instance court allowing deductions of costs, to arrive at an initial confiscation order in the sum of €298,310. This was in line with the Dutch methodology of confiscating net profit rather than gross profit.
The defendant raised a number of arguments:
1) that there should be no confiscation;
2) that certain costs (transport, packaging, testing, etc) had been improperly not deducted from revenue;
3) that the value of confiscated goods should be credited in favour of the defendant; and
4) that the defendant did not have the financial means to satisfy the confiscation order.
All of these arguments were rejected by the Hague Court of Appeal. Despite this, the Court reduced the sum to be confiscated to €250,195. The Court provided no reasoning, or basis for, this reduction.
UK – National Crime Agency agrees forfeiture of $5.2m to resolve sanctions and AML investigation
The UK’s National Crime Agency has issued a press release stating that it has entered into a settlement agreement with ENEX Premium Trading Limited, owned by Nadir Valiyev and registered in St Kitts and Nevis.
The press release states that the settlement involves no admission of criminality by either ENEX of Mr Valiyev.
The allegation that was investigated from 2024 onwards was that ENEX was involved in the shipment of stolen Ukrainian grain. The NCA obtained an Account Freezing Order in November 2024 over sums received from China between July and September 2024. It is those funds which have now been forfeited.
UK – Russian-flagged vessel issued with movement direction to leave UK waters
The UK’s Department of Transport has today published information on events that took place on 27-28 January 2026.
On 27 January, the Russian-flagged, registered and operated vessel the Sinegorsk contacted HM Coastguard stating an intention to enter UK waters to undertake repairs to its hull.
The Centre for Transport Sanctions within the Department of Transport conducted an investigation into the sanctions status of the vessel.
After determining that the vessel was within the scope of the discretionary powers to issue a “movement direction”, the Secretary of State decided to issue such a direction. On 28 January HM Coastguard issued the notice to the Sinegorsk which proceeded to comply with the direction and leave UK waters.