Further to our earlier post from 2024, it is now being reported that the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating possible breaches of the EU Russian sanctions relating to the now-closed ‘Russia House’ in Berlin which for many years had served as a cultural centre.
The Prosecutor’s Office is quoted as responding to query by stating that there are “ongoing investigations against unknown persons or tenants of the Russian House for violations of the Foreign Trade and Payments Act“.
The Dutch Openbaar Ministerie has issued a press release relating to raids and arrests conducted by FIOD today.
Two individuals, a 52-year old Russian and a 50-year old Dutch national were arrested and are in pre-trial detention. The Dutch company of which the Russian national is a shareholder is also listed as a suspect.
The investigation relates to the suspected provision of prohibited IT services and the suspected export of high-tech goods “that can be linked to applications for the Russian defense industry” via a third country.
The Dutch company is said to be linked to a Russian company with clientele that includes “a sanctioned Russian bank, a high-tech software company, and a manufacturer of military helicopters”.
It is being reported that the Swedish authorities have brought a criminal prosecution against an unnamed car dealership for purchasing three vehicles valued at SEK 415,000 (c. €37,000) from the Russian embassy.
The unnamed car dealer from the Stockholm area denies the charges.
It is alleged that the payment was made through a front company in an effort to avoid detection of the purchase from an arm of the Russian government, and that no application was made for the licence that might otherwise have permitted the transactions.
It is being reported that Luxembourg’s Finance Ministry has tasked the public prosecutor to investigate suspected sanctions circumvention, and possible insider trading, by ex-managers of Gazprombank Luxembourg.
The bank and one of the ex-managers has denied wrongdoing.
The allegations arise out high profile reporting (behind a paywall, but also here) of a bond-trading scheme whereby cut-price Luxembourg bonds were swapped for full-priced bonds in Russia.
Finland’s Customs has issued a press release relating to the latter stages of an investigation into suspected exports to Russia of nearly €6m in “hydraulic pumps and motors as well as various valves” in breach of the EU’s sanctions.
The exports were declared as destined for Kazakhstan and Türkiye, but are alleged to have been exported to Russia.
Two individuals are the suspects with the offences treated as aggravated offences. One of the suspects is also said to be the subject of four other criminal matters pending in the courts.
The press release note that the case will be forwarded to prosecutors by the end of the year.
The UK’s HM Revenue and Customs has issued its largest sanctions-related Compound Penalty to date.
The company, Illumina Cambridge Limited, was fined £7,438,840.13 for breaches of the UK’s Russian sanctions.
The published Notice gives limited information on the breaches:
“Between July 2022 and January 2023 Illumina breached regulation 25(1) through their involvement in the supply of sanctioned goods from one overseas company within their corporate group to another overseas company within their corporate group for export to Russia and other destinations“.
Regulation 25(1) prohibits the direct or indirect making available of “restricted goods” or “restricted technology” either for use in Russia, or to a person connected with Russia.
Illumina Cambridge Limited voluntarily disclosed the conduct to HNRC and cooperated with the investigation.
As noted by HMRC “sanctions breaches can occur when UK businesses are involved in supply chains that result in sanctioned goods being supplied indirectly to Russia (or other countries subject to trade sanctions), even when no goods have been exported from the UK“.
This is the third large fine/forfeiture handed out by UK authorities in the last few weeks following the £4.7m fine from OFSI (2 September) and the $5.2m forfeiture from the National Crime Agency (27 August).
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.
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.
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).
A broadcast news story has provided data on the enforcement activity of Latvia’s Customs.
The story reports that:
The new story does not state over what period the confiscations took place.
