In Lithuania, investigators uncovered one of the international sanctions-evasion schemes: in the city of Kaunas, a local company, cloaking itself with fictitious recipients in Portugal, sought to export industrial water-treatment equipment to Russia.
According to the Criminal Customs Service, recently, as part of the investigation, searches were conducted; 11 people were detained, and several tons of various equipment intended for projects in Russia were seized. After questioning the suspects, they were released; two were placed under a travel ban.
Additionally, two trucks carrying equipment were stopped: one in Kaunas, the other near the Lithuania-Poland border. Some of the products were also detained during transit through Bulgaria.
According to investigators, the equipment was intended for specific industrial facilities in Russia, confirming the systemic nature of the scheme.
“In collaboration with the Portuguese and Bulgarian police in these countries, searches were also carried out. In Portugal – at the fictitious recipient of filtration equipment, and in Bulgaria – at the cargo terminal – a warehouse where the Kaunas-based company’s products are stored”
– Press Service of the Lithuanian Criminal Customs
Consequences and Next Steps
According to investigators, the seized equipment and its components will become part of the pre-trial investigation into sanctions evasion and illegal export-import activity.
Law enforcement suspects that part of the equipment could have ended up in Russia and been used in the country’s oil industry, underscoring the seriousness of the sanctions violations.
At present, the Lithuanian Criminal Customs Service continues the investigation in coordination with international partners to determine the scale of the scheme and hold all participants accountable.