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German Customs has announced the result in a criminal prosecution of two individuals charged with exporting 111 luxury cars to Russia in breach of EU sanctions.
See our earlier post relating to the raids conducted in 2024.
The vehicles were armored and classified as luxury under the EU sanctions.
One defendant pleaded guilty ahead of the trial, Inna W, and was given a 2-year suspended sentence. The main defendant, Andreas M, pleaded guilty mid way through the trial. He was given a six year jail term and has been in detention since his arrest in November 2024.
The defendants had further plans for the export of another 400 cars valued at €40m.
The evidence indicated an extensive procurement network of shell companies for purchasing the vehicles before export. Customers for the vehicles included various Russian state agencies and state-owned corporations.
The sentence included the confiscation of "approximately €20m" as the proceeds of crime said to be from the individuals and the companies involved.
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