A court in Würzburg has sentenced a 49-year-old German car dealer to six years in prison for illegally delivering 111 luxury cars to Russia, in violation of the sanctions imposed by the European Union.
According to the Essen Customs Office, which handled the case together with the prosecutor’s office, the total value of the illegally exported cars amounts to 20 million euros. Moreover, the authorities managed to block the sale of another 400 cars, valued at approximately 40 million euros.
The investigation revealed that among the final recipients of the cars were the Presidential Administration of Russia, the Federal Security Service, the Federal Protection Service, and the state oil company Rosneft.
The customs authorities specified that the dealer specialized in armored cars of a well-known German manufacturer. The official statement includes a picture of a confiscated car — a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. According to investigators, the vehicles were purchased through a network of front companies.
After the introduction of sanctions in 2022, which prohibit the export of luxury cars to Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, the dealer reportedly became one of the main suppliers for two major premium showrooms in Moscow. Before the war, he mainly did business with Kazakhstan.
Details, HERE