In the three years since the start of the war in Ukraine and the gradual imposition of EU sanctions against Moscow, the Netherlands has sanctioned at least 70 companies and individuals for violations. Another 40 investigations are underway, reports the Algemeine Dagblad newspaper, citing data from customs and the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, BTA reports.
The service has detected 30 cases, in six of which the courts have already imposed fines and sentences of up to 32 months in prison. Twenty investigations are ongoing. For its part, customs have uncovered 80 violations – 64 of them resulted in fines of between 500 and 200,000 euros, and 16 cases are still under investigation.
The exact number of companies and individuals sanctioned remains unclear, as one case can involve several offenders. Authorities emphasize that not all violations are intentional.
According to Dutch authorities, their efforts are paying off - 115 cases have been filed in three years. “Implementing the sanctions is like throwing sand into the engine of the Russian war machine“, commented a spokesperson for the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service.
Lawyer Helene nad de Linden, an expert on sanctions and Russia, confirms the effectiveness of the measures. “Putin claims that the sanctions do not affect Russia, but that is not true. Exports of oil and other raw materials have decreased dramatically,“ she says. While the Russian economy has not collapsed, the restrictions are “useful and necessary.” Without sanctions, she said, Putin would likely control much more of Ukraine.
The Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service now has 47 officers focused on sanctions – a significant increase from previous years. The customs enforcement team now has 55, and the customs service has added 150 staff overall. Of the 700 customs investigations in three years, 85 have involved violations of sanctions against Russia.