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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Further to our earlier post, relating to two brothers pleading guilty to sanctions offences mid-trial, the court in Germany has now sentenced (and here in German) the pair.
The younger brother was sentenced to 4 years and one month, and the elder brother to 3 years and 10 months. This was part of a plea deal in which, according to reports, admissions were also made in relation to offences that did not form part of the prosecution.
The convictions relate to 65 exports to Russia via, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan, of a total of €833,000 worth of engineering equipment and machinery used in weapons manufacturing.
Further to our previous post, it is now being reported that the Austrian investigation into suspected exports of CNC machines has ended in two criminal convictions.
A 28 year old was the director and shareholder in the Vienna-based company involved. He received a 21 month sentence of which 19 months were suspended. He was released upon his conviction having already served more than two months in detention.
The second defendant was a 24-year old who dealt with the company’s accounts and was also a shareholder. She was given a 15-month suspended sentence.
Both had pleaded guilty to the charges.
The reporting makes no mention of a financial fine, or of any confiscation of the proceeds of crime.
Further to our earlier post relating to the detention of the tanker Eventin by Germany in January 2025, press reporting has provided an update on the progress of the efforts by German Customs to confiscate and sell the 99,000 metric tonnes of crude on board.
It appears that Customs have decided to discontinue efforts to expedite the confiscation, with the issues relating to the confiscation, of whether any sanctions offence was committed, and whether the vessel, which was suffering engine trouble, was entitled to sail into German waters to obtain safe refuge, will be determined in the respective proceedings brought by the ship’s owner, Laliya Shipping Corp in March and April of this year.
Austria’s Interior Ministry has issued a press release detailing on ongoing investigation and prosecution into a procurement network for the Russian arms industry.
The goods were CNC machines and related tools for metal processing. The suspected exports involved a network of companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Poland and Lithuania.
End-user certificates were also forged to mask that the real customer was Russia’s state-owned arms manufacturer ROSTEC. The goods are said to have been used in the production of engines for missiles and fighter jets.
Four properties were raided in August 2025 revealing evidence of exports valued at €3.3 million mostly shipped via Hong Kong and Turkey.
Evidence of continuing intentions to export led to the arrest on 13 May 2026 of a Belarussian national who was the managing director and co-shareholder of the unnamed company. He remains in custody.
Further to our earlier post, it is being reported that, on Sunday 2 August, the EU’s operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini has boarded another tanker, the Toa Payoh, off Sicily. The vessel was sailing from Benin to Istanbul.
The boarding was to determine and investigate the flag status of the vessel which was claiming to have recently switched to a Cameroonian flag.
The vessel was not seized or detained as part of the operation.
