In the Netherlands, the prosecutor’s office launched an investigation on the grounds that many companies violated the sanctions against Russia.
According to Dutch authorities, in addition to direct trade to Russia, the flow of goods through Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Kazakhstan continues.
Late last year, 27 Dutch companies were followed by the prosecution for violating EU sanctions against Russia.
The Prosecutor’s Office reported that the number of companies whose people were investigated for violating the sanctions reached 45 within a year.
29 of these investigations are about violation of import and export sanctions, other investigations are about violation of financial sanctions.
A lawsuit has been filed in the investigation against Dimitri K., who is suspected of exporting microchips and drones to Russia via Kazakhstan.
During the controls carried out by the Dutch customs authorities, in addition to the luxury clothing items that were intended to be sent to Russia in violation of the sanctions decisions, military equipment and helicopter parts were also seized.
Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Els Martens told RTL Haber that they expect violations to increase as the sanctions against Russia get longer.
The EU administration has prepared a number of sanctions packages to put more pressure on the administration of Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions include travel bans, the freezing of financial assets of Russian officials and billionaires called oligarchs, and import and export restrictions.
EXPORT TO THIRD COUNTRIES
While there has been a significant decrease in direct commercial activities with Russia as a result of the sanctions, there has been a significant increase in the trade volume with neighboring countries, including Turkey.
Dutch authorities are of the opinion that sanctions against Russia have been breached by products exported to neighboring countries.
According to the United Nations data, the amount of exports from the Netherlands to Kyrgyzstan between March and November 2022 increased by 142 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
The value of exports from Kyrgyzstan to Russia increased by 233 percent in the same period.
According to Dutch authorities, there was a 13 percent increase in the volume of trade from Turkey to Russia in the same period.
Trade with Russia increased by 74 percent in Armenia, 60 percent in Kazakhstan and 36 percent in Georgia.
According to the spokesperson of the Prosecutor’s Office, it is quite complicated to prove that the goods, which are stated on the waybill to go to another country, are sent to Russia.
For this reason, it is stated that the customs directorate has tightened its controls.
Emphasizing the importance of the sanction, spokesman Martens said: “The main purpose of the sanctions is to stop the war in Ukraine. Any company that violates this contributes to prolonging the war.”
A lawsuit is filed against those who violate the sanctions against Russia in the Netherlands, demanding up to 6 years in prison and fines of up to 90,000 euros.