Germany Busts Five Suspects for Arming Russia Illegally

(MENAFN) German law enforcement dismantled a sprawling sanctions-evasion network Monday, apprehending five individuals accused of funneling prohibited merchandise worth millions to Russian military suppliers in defiance of EU restrictions.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office announced that arrest warrants authorized by an investigating judge from the Federal Court of Justice led to the capture of four suspects: one German-Ukrainian citizen, two German nationals, and one German-Russian dual national. Authorities also placed a fifth German-Russian individual under provisional detention.

Prosecutors allege the accused orchestrated their scheme through a corporate entity headquartered in Lubeck, a port city in northern Germany. To mask their operations, the ring purportedly deployed shell purchasers strategically positioned across multiple jurisdictions—both inside European Union territory and beyond its borders.

Investigative evidence indicates the group enabled thousands of covert cargo movements into Russia, generating illicit revenue streams valued at no less than €30 million ($36 million). These contraband shipments reached a minimum of 24 Russian defense manufacturing entities, according to the prosecutorial announcement.

The coordinated enforcement action represents a major crackdown on clandestine supply chains supporting Russia's military-industrial apparatus.

MENAFN02022026000045017169ID1110682373