Finland probing company suspected of selling sanctioned goods to Russia

Finnish customs are leading a major criminal case targeting a company from the east of the country that could have supplied Russia with components subject to sanctions in 2022-2023.

This was reported by Yle, Ukrinform saw.

As noted, the company purchased various components, including semiconductors, microcircuits, processors, and connectors, in the USA, Europe, and China before reselling them to companies in the EU and Hong Kong. Some of the goods, in violation of sanctions, were sent directly to Russia, mainly through the Vaalimaa border crossing.

According to customs data, the supplied components are worth nearly EUR 2.7 million.

One of the two suspects is in Russia, and the other holds dual citizenship of Finland and Russia. An individual living in Russia is suspected of organizing and managing the activities of the targeted company in Finland.

“The initial investigation has established that the instructions came from the suspect’s son, a Russian army officer. During a raid of the home, a photograph of a man wearing a Russian officer’s uniform was found. He also indicated the address of a Russian military school as his address when opening an account in a Finnish bank,” Sanna Kuparinen, the head of the investigation, said in a press release.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Lithuania accused Russian importers of exploiting medical exemptions to circumvent sanctions, allowing them to receive dual-use goods for the Russian army.

Photo: Freepik/slon.pics