Last year, the Lithuanian Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) imposed fines totalling more than 6.2 million euros on individuals for various breaches of international financial sanctions.
“Sanctions are most commonly circumvented through the sale of vehicles, and likely dual-use goods and technologies, as well as through document forgery and the concealment of the true origin of goods,” reports LRT, citing a report by the FNTT’s Anti-Money Laundering Department.
Last year, the FNTT received 232 reports from financial institutions regarding possible cases of sanctions circumvention or evasion. Of these, 77 were analysed, and some of the case files were forwarded to other competent authorities in Lithuania and the European Union.
Fines were most frequently imposed for the export of vehicles to Belarus or Russia, the import of various goods into or from the European Union, logistics and warehousing services, as well as for the provision of euro banknotes to Belarusian legal entities or their use in that country.
Lithuanian supervisory authorities have noted that companies involved in the purchase, sale and delivery of goods are deliberately concealing the country of origin of the goods.
Attempts are also being made to circumvent the sanctions when selling dual-use goods and technologies. This is often done by Lithuanian companies with experience of trading with Russia or Belarus, or by setting up intermediary structures in countries that do not support the sanctions policies of the European Union, the UK or the US. Companies from these countries are looking for various ways to purchase equipment.