Three companies in Germany are suspected of circumventing sanctions against russia

Officers from the Customs Investigation Department in Frankfurt am Main carried out searches at three companies in the Rhine-Main region suspected of organising the shipment of engineering components and chemicals worth millions of euros to Russia, circumventing European Union sanctions. The agency reported on the searches, which took place on 27 March, on Thursday, 2 April.

According to the press release, the searches were carried out at 14 residential and commercial premises in Frankfurt am Main, Offenbach and a number of neighbouring districts. During the raids, a large volume of business documentation and electronic data storage devices were seized. The investigation is being led by the Frankfurt am Main public prosecutor’s office.

According to customs officials, at least two companies “are suspected of having used a transport company, as well as other foreign logistics providers, to illegally sell and export sanctioned goods from the Rhine-Main region to the russian federation via neighbouring countries using so-called circumventing export schemes”.

As part of the investigation, assets belonging to the two firms have been seized – worth approximately €987,000 and €148,000 respectively.

All three companies came to the attention of the public prosecutor’s office and the Frankfurt am Main customs investigation department after customs officials discovered deliveries to russian customers during an audit of one of the companies’ foreign trade activities. The investigation has not disclosed the names of the companies. No charges have yet been brought.

Source: DW