The Polish Internal Security Agency reported that a German citizen has been arrested in the western part of the country on charges of exporting dual-use goods to Russia, specifically industrial equipment for weapon production.
According to the ABW, the detained individual was involved in selling specialized machines used in the technological industry. These devices were unlawfully supplied to Russian defense enterprises producing weapons through a company.
During the interrogation, the suspect admitted his guilt.
The incident in Poland is not the only case of sanctions violations. At the beginning of November, a court in Stuttgart, Germany, sentenced a 56-year-old man to 7 years in prison for selling machines for sniper rifles to a Russian arms company.
The accused, who led a company producing modern machinery, had long-term business ties with Russian arms manufacturers but did not admit guilt.
In October, journalists from the German broadcaster SWR revealed that despite the sanctions, German companies made over 300 shipments of goods to Russia in 2023 that were used in the production of weapons and ammunition. The majority of the exports consisted of large industrial machines and computer numerical control (CNC) devices.
A study by The New York Times indicated that Russia restored its imports of Western semiconductors in 2023 to levels seen at the end of 2021. This was made possible by a network of shell companies in Hong Kong, China, Turkey, and other countries.
According to the publication, since the beginning of the war, more than 6,000 firms have participated in supplying prohibited microchips worth approximately $4 billion.