A significant breach of EU sanctions has been exposed, involving the illegal export of luxury cars worth approximately 21 million euros to Russia. A 46-year-old Belarusian woman orchestrated the illicit operation, bypassing strict EU regulations against such exports. Despite EU sanctions prohibiting luxury goods exports to Russia since March 2022, the woman and her accomplices managed to export 192 vehicles under false pretenses.
The operation falsely declared the cars were destined for countries like Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. However, the vehicles were directly registered in Russia. This fraudulent activity was uncovered following extensive investigations by 85 officers from the Berlin-Brandenburg Customs Investigation Office, resulting in significant raids in the Bavarian district of Landshut and Berlin-Spandau.
During the raids, five vehicles and two refrigerated trailers were seized, serving as asset arrests. Business documents crucial to the investigation were also confiscated. The suspect was apprehended and is facing charges of violating the Foreign Trade and Payments Act. Given the severity of the allegations, she is being held in custody due to flight risk concerns.
This case highlights the ongoing challenges in enforcing international sanctions and the lengths to which individuals will go to circumvent them. The incident underscores the need for vigilant monitoring and enforcement of sanctions to prevent similar breaches in the future.
