Russians arrested and sanctioned cargo seized in OLAF operation

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) assisted the Spanish authorities in an operation which resulted to the arrest of four individuals involved in the alleged illegal export of chemicals to Russia and to the seizure of 13,000 kilograms of a chemical compound subject to export restrictions, at the Port of Barcelona.

OLAF – the European Anti-Fraud Office – has issued a press release setting out the assistance it has given to Spanish authorities with the enforcement of EU sanctions against Russia during Operation “Probirka” (Russian for “Test Tube”).

According to the release, the Spanish National Police and Customs Surveillance Service have arrested four people in the Spanish region of Catalonia, three of whom are Russian nationals. The operation also resulted in the seizure of 13,000 kilograms of a chemical compound subject to export restrictions, at the Port of Barcelona.

The investigation revealed that a Spanish company, managed by Russian nationals, had allegedly established “a sophisticated logistical and economic scheme to export internationally sanctioned chemical products to Russia.”

Since 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has imposed sanctions on the country, including strict bans on the export and import of certain goods.

OLAF has been actively engaged in investigating, monitoring trade flows, conducting analytical work, and identifying potential attempts to circumvent these sanctions.

As part of the joint sanctions enforcement operation that OLAF has been running since July 2023, OLAF was called upon by the Spanish authorities to assist with investigations into the export of chemical substances from Spain.

“It was suspected that certain companies were bypassing EU sanctions by rerouting goods through intermediaries in Kyrgyzstan, with the final destination being Russia,” OLAF said in its statement.

Ville Itälä, Director-General of OLAF, reiterated that: “OLAF’s ability to join the dots and to bring together the data and intelligence from national authorities is once again key to the success of our partners.

“OLAF is best placed to facilitate this synergy and cooperation, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to support our partners in their endeavours to enforce the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus. Sanctions are only as effective as their enforcement, and we are proud to contribute actively.”