The Criminal Service of the Lithuanian Customs Department reported the detention of 11 people on suspicion of bypassing sanctions against Russia. They organized the supply of water purification equipment to Russia, which was then used by oil industry enterprises, the agency reported.
The organizer of the supplies was a company from the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, whose office was searched on August 12. After that, company employees and two drivers from Moldova and Bulgaria were detained. Two trucks were also detained: one was loading equipment in Kaunas, and the other was heading towards the Lithuanian-Polish border. Searches were also conducted in the office of a fictitious goods recipient in Portugal and in a product warehouse in Bulgaria.
According to investigators, the formal customer and recipient of the goods was a company from Portugal, but in fact, the goods were transported to Bulgaria, and then to Turkey, from where they were sent to Russia. The equipment was assembled from components manufactured in China and the EU.
After questioning, those detained in Lithuania were released, with two of them being placed under travel restrictions.