The British authorities today announced the imposition by HM Revenue and Customs of a £1m compound penalty on an unnamed UK company for unlicensed exports to Russia in breach of the UK’s Russian sanctions regulations.
No further information has been released.
It has been reported today that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is investigating potential breaches of sanctions, after a “Made in Ireland” tag was found on components within drones used by Russia in Ukraine.
The Dutch authorities have announced the arrest of a 41-year old man on suspicion of exporting microchips indirectly to Russia through third countries in circumvention of the EU’s sanctions.
The products are computer parts and were exported through third countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Turkey and the UAE.
Residential and business premises were searched in Moerdijk as part of the investigation.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has issued a press release relating to charges against Vadim Konoshchenok, who was arrested in Estonia and extradited to the US.
Konoshchenok is charged with exporting US-made goods to Russia.
According to the release, Konoshchenok was arrested in Estonia in December 2022 attempting to smuggle into Russia 35 different electronic components including US-made controlled products.
Earlier efforts to export ammunition to Russia had resulted in the seizure of half a ton of material.
It has been reported that the Czech authorities are investigating the activities of Kovosvit MAS, which is suspected of shipping machinery to Russia via Turkey potentially in breach of EU sanctions.
It has been reported that the Swiss authorities are currently investigating allegations that Paramount Energy & Commodities SA has been unlawfully trading oil of Russian origin through a Dubai-incorporated subsidiary in breach of the Swiss adoption of sanctions against Russia.
It was reported today that the Norwegian authorities have imposed their first fine for breaches of sanctions against Russia.
The fine was NOK 50,000 being the profit from the unlawful sale of a car to a Russian customer in breach of Norway’s sanctions against the export of luxury goods.
It has been reported today that the Czech authorities are currently investigating the activities of the Czech company Labara. It is suspected that the company has been exporting machinery which can be used for the manufacture of weaponry to Russia via Turkey.
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.
Further to our earlier post that the Swiss had nearly 100 sanctions investigations, the Swiss authorities have provided an update.
The number of investigations conducted by SECO (the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) is now 130, with 29 of those referred for criminal prosecution.
