German authorities arrested five men on Thursday on suspicion of running a criminal network that smuggled goods worth at least €30 million to Russian defence companies in violation of EU sanctions.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office said the suspects operated through a Lübeck trading company and used front companies and customers in and outside the European Union to conceal the scheme. The network allegedly organised around 16,000 deliveries to Russia.
Arrests were made in Lübeck in northern Germany and in the district of Herzogtum Lauenburg. Simultaneous raids were conducted in Lübeck, Frankfurt am Main, Nordwestmecklenburg district, Nuremberg and Ostholstein district.
Five other suspects remain at large.
The detainees are to appear before an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice on Friday, who will decide whether to issue arrest warrants.
Prosecutors said the network had support from Russian state structures and identified at least 20 sanctioned Russian defence companies as end customers.
The suspects are accused of conspiring to procure goods for Russian industry and export them to Russia in order to circumvent EU embargo regulations.
Authorities ordered an asset freeze of €30 million to secure possible claims. The investigation was conducted in close cooperation with the Federal Intelligence Service, while operational investigations were carried out by the Customs Criminal Investigation Office.
The arrests come as European nations intensify efforts to combat sanctions evasion networks supplying Russia's military-industrial complex during its ongoing all-out war in Ukraine, now nearing its four-year mark.
