On 2 December, the Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) searched several business premises and homes as part of a sanctions investigation. Two individuals were arrested and have since been taken into custody. Dutch TV programme Nieuwsuur revealed it involves Damen Shipyards and two directors of the company.
The company and the two individuals (aged 39 and 60) are suspected of violating and knowingly and intentionally circumventing the sanctions against Russia since autumn 2022, states the FIOD.
It is suspected that after the EU sanctions came into force in February 2022, the company supplied goods to countries used for circumvention, after which the goods ended up in Russia. At the time of delivery, the war between Russia and Ukraine had already been ongoing for some time. The FIOD has seized physical and digital records and data carriers for investigation.
Also read: Legal proceedings against Damen Shipyards commence
Crab fishing project
Nieuwsuur says it concerns a major shipbuilding project for crab fishing and that Russian shipyards was able to acquire components through Turkey and Hong Kong. At least some of the parts appear to originate from Damen itself: three manufacturers – including German propeller manufacturer Schottel – say they recognise their parts in the analysis of two databases containing import data – and that these parts were supplied exclusively to Damen in the Netherlands, says Nieuwsuur.
Damen told Nieuwsuur in response: ‘Damen is cooperating fully with the investigation by all competent authorities and emphasises once again that it has always acted in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.’
Also read: Damen Shipyards prosecuted for bribery and sanction violations
Legal proceedings underway
This case is not linked to the legal proceedings which started last week. This case involves suspicions of bribery, forgery and money, also investigated by the FIOD, but spanning a period from 2006 to January 2017. This case involves the payment of high commissions to agents. Those agents were engaged to sell ships to various countries in Africa, Asia and South America.
In addition, there is a separate case of possible sanctions violations. According to Damen, this involves the delivery of several cranes to Russia.
Picture: Damen Shipyards Gorinchem (© S.J. de Waard / CC-BY-SA-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons).
Also read: Damen boasts order record, F126 project may shift to German parties
