First sentence handed down in Denmark for breaching sanctions

On Thursday, at Kolding District Court, the industrial company ‘Alfa Laval’ was fined 100,000 kroner for breaching sanctions against russia.

This was reported by the newspaper ‘JydskeVestkysten’.

This is the first time a company has been penalised for breaching sanctions against russia since they were introduced in 2022. The case was heard under a guilty plea procedure.

A motion for a court hearing in this case, to which the Ritzau news agency gained access, reveals that between 3 June 2022 and 2 August 2022, Alfa Laval twice sold products that could ‘contribute to strengthening russia’s industrial capacity’.

Spare parts for a centrifuge, worth just over 500,000 kroner, were sold to a subsidiary in russia.

The National Directorate for Serious Crimes investigated the case and imposed a fine of 100,000 kroner on the company.

Alfa Laval received this fine on Thursday.

With over 800 employees, the company is one of the largest private employers in Kolding.

Lars Fabricius, director of Alfa Laval, told the Ritzau news agency earlier this week that the breach occurred due to ‘human error’ during the internal transport of goods.

“The total value of the goods (two pharmaceutical, non-military industrial items) was negligible; the goods were never actually delivered, and the money was never transferred,” he noted in a written statement.

He also added that Alfa Laval had taken the necessary measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

EU sanctions against russia were imposed after russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

On Monday, NSK informed the Ritzau news agency that, as of 7 October this year, 20 cases involving breaches of sanctions against russia were under investigation.

The newspaper "Berlingske" reported on Sunday that, between February 2022 and February 2025, 11 companies had been charged with breaching sanctions. During the same period, charges were brought against seven individuals.

It is currently unknown whether any further charges have been brought since February.

Source: JydskeVestkysten