The German customs announced the arrest of car dealers suspected of supplying expensive cars to Russia and the confiscation of their property worth 1.3 million euros.
The investigation into the supply of cars is being conducted by the Stuttgart customs investigation department. Almost 100 cars worth approximately 15 million euros were found in the possession of the dealers. The shipments were allegedly made over a period of two years and were routed through third countries to reach Russia.
The suspects, a couple aged 41 and 42, ran a business involving two car trading companies. A 43-year-old employee of these companies was also involved in the sale and export of 58 cars. All three have been arrested due to the risk of flight.
At present, the court has seized assets belonging to the suspects amounting to approximately 1.3 million euros. If convicted of commercial offenses, the suspects may face imprisonment of at least one year per individual offense.
In 2022, the European Union imposed sanctions banning the export of luxury goods from Russia, including cars worth more than 50,000 euros.
