It has been reported today that the UK’s National Crime Agency is investigating possible sanctions breaches by six companies and individuals associated with Petr Aven who is a designated person under the UK’s sanctions.
The authorities have obtained Account Freezing Orders over two accounts allegedly holding £1.5 million and these orders are being challenged by Mr Aven.
It has been reported that the Munich state prosecutor has conducted comprehensive raids at the residence of a Russian citizen and four other suspects.
The Russian national is suspected of having recruited a security firm to observe properties in Upper Bavaria financially linked to him, and that the payments made to the firm were in breach of the asset freeze imposed on this designated person.
Also being investigated are the security firm and its staff.
The designated person has been named as Alisher Usmanov but this is a different investigation to the one we have separately reported.
The German authorities have conducted raids on properties in three states relating to an investigation into Alisher Usmanov, a designated person under the EU’s sanctions.
The investigation is said to relate to transactions conducted between 2017 and 2022.
It has been reported today that the German authorities have conducted raids across Germany as part of investigations into alleged exports of chemicals to Russia in breach of EU sanctions.
The raids included the premises of the companies Riol Chemie GmbH and R.R. Rhein Reserve GmbH.
It is alleged that more than 30 separate exports have taken place in the last three or so years, and that the chemicals could be used to make chemical weapons including Novichok.
The Latvian Intelligence Services (VDD) has announced the arrest and charge of an individual on suspicion of breaching the EU’s sanctions against Russia.
As well as other offences, the sanctions breach is said to relate to cooperation “with a person included in the EU sanctions list”
It has been reported that the National Crime Agency has confirmed the arrests of 10 individuals suspected of helping designated persons evade sanctions.
The arrests are said to include lawyers, solicitors and other regulated professionals.
The same reports have noted the use of the art market as an avenue being used to evade asset freezes.
It has been reported that the German authorities have seized three apartments owned by designated persons under the EU’s Russian sanctions.
It is alleged that the designated persons were continuing to charge and receive rent from tenants in breach of the asset freeze imposed upon them and so are being investigated for breach of the German foreign trade law.
It is being reported that the Danish Business Authority has commenced an investigation into alleged exports of heat exchangers for use by the Russian army and navy by the Russian subsidiary of Danish company Danfoss – called AO Ridan.
Danfoss is reported to have denied the allegations and to be cooperating with the investigation.
It has been reported today that the Romanian ANAF has lost another appeal against one of its fines and confiscations.
In this instance the allegation was that the Romanian company Gransol Agro Arad had purchased fertilisers from companies owned or controlled by designated persons under the EU’s Russian sanctions. The imports were said to have taken place between 2014 and 2020.
The court held that the prosecution had not established that the Russian supplier company was in fact owned or controlled by a designated person, and was critical of reliance being placed on google searches rather than official company records.
The Spanish maritime authorities have refused port access to the tanker Black Star alleging that it took on board Russian cargo from the Russian-flagged vessel Andrey Pervozvanniy, in a ship-to-ship transfer near Malta.
